Influence of microcrystallization on noise in boron-doped silicon film

A series of hydrogenated silicon (Si:H) thin films of about 350 nm in thickness were fabricated on K9 glass substrate by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The transition between hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si : H) and microcrystalline hydrogenated silicon (mu c-Si : H) was characterized by atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction microstructure analysis. The low-frequency noise (1/f noise) and random telegraph switching (RTS) noise of Si: H films were measured using a designed semiconductor system. The results show that the 1/f noise of mu c-Si: H is 4 orders of magnitude lower than that of a-Si : H and no RTS noise of Si: H films was found. (c) 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.