Optical Properties of Microcrystalline Silicon

Abstract

AbstractOptical properties of undoped, microcrystalline silicon are investigated by photothermal deflection spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry and Raman scattering. Samples are prepared by recrystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon in the temperature range 680 – 900°C. The increase of grain sizes with increasing annealing temperature and the disappearance of amorphous tissue lead to noticeable changes in the observed spectra. It is argued that much of the pertinent structural information of μc-Si can be obtained by a suitable combination of optical measurements alone.