Deposition of photoluminescent nanocrystalline silicon films by SiF4-SiH4-H2 plasmas

Visible photoluminescence at 1.62 eV has been observed at room temperature from fluorinated and hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H,F) produced in a typical plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. The use of SiF4-SiH4-H2 mixture, because of the H2 dilution and the presence of SiF4, favours the amorphous - crystalline transition through the etching process of the amorphous phase. The x - ray diffraction measurements give an average grain size of about 100 angstrom. The presence of these nanocrystals shifts the absorption edge of the films towards higher energy. An energy gap of 2.12 eV is estimated, although the hydrogen content in the material is only 4.5 at. %. The temperature dependence of the photoluminescence behaves similarly to that of porous silicon.