9360138 Hollingsworth The recent observation of efficient visible luminescence form nanometer sized silicon crystallites has generated a great deal of excitement in the semiconductor community. The emission of light about the bandgap of silicon is generally attributed to quantum confinement of carriers in crystallites with dimensions less than 5nm. This research project will examine plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition as a method of producing nanocrystalline silicon thin films exhibiting visible luminescence. Heavily doped micro crystalline films grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition have been studied for many years for use in amorphous silicon photovoltaics. The micro crystalline films consist of crystals with typical grain sizes less than 10nm surrounded by an amorphous silicon matrix. It has been shown that removal of the amorphous matrix leaves nanocrystalline silicon with visible luminescence. Undoped, p, and n type micro crystalline films will be grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition with subsequent etching of the amorphous matrix to leave nanocrystalline research, with the ultimate goal in Phase II of producing light emitting diodes on glass substrated for large area flat panel display applications.
