The surface morphology and grain growth of amophous silicon (a-Si) films deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) have been investigated as a function of deposition and in sltu annealing condition. The film deposited at the amorphou...
The surface morphology and grain growth of amophous silicon (a-Si) films deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) have been investigated as a function of deposition and in sltu annealing condition. The film deposited at the amorphous to polycrystalline transition temperature has an extra-rough, rugged surface with (311) t.exture. At the same deposition temperature, the grain structure tends to shirr. from the polycrystalline to the amorphous phase with increasing the film thickness. It is found that nucleation of a-Si during in situ annealing at the transition temperature without breaking the vacuum starts to occur from surface Si atom migration in contrast to a heterogeneous nucleation during film deposition.