Electrical conductivity in microcrystalline Si:H:Cl films

The dark and photoconductivities of microcrystalline Si films, deposited from SiCl₄ by the cold rf plasma method, have been investigated as a function of total gas pressure and dopant concentration, and have been correlated to the chlorine contents of the films. It was found that deposition pressure affects the electrical conductivity, its activation energy and the type of the films deposited without dopant gases. The chlorine content of the film is dependent on the type and concentration of the dopant gas and is affecting mainly the photoconductivity. The electrical conductivity of the silicon films is strongly dependent on the dopant incorporated in them and can be changed by several orders of magnitude.