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Thermoelectric properties of doped and undoped mixed phase hydrogenated amorphous/nanocrystalline silicon thin films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

James Kakalios ,
Yves Adjallah  and
Charlie Blackwell
James Kakalios
Affiliation:
kakalios@umn.edu, University of Minnesota, Physics, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Yves Adjallah
Affiliation:
adjallah@physics.umn.edu
Charlie Blackwell
Affiliation:
cblack@physics.umn.edu, University of Minnesota, Physics, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
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Abstract

The Seebeck coefficient and dark conductivity for undoped, and n-type doped thin film hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), and mixed-phase films with silicon nanocrystalline inclusions (a/nc-Si:H) are reported. For both undoped a-Si:H and undoped a/nc-Si:H films, the dark conductivity is enhanced by the addition of silicon nanocrystals. The thermopower of the undoped a/nc-Si:H has a lower Seebeck coefficient, and similar temperature dependence, to that observed for undoped a-Si:H. In contrast, the addition of nanoparticles in doped a/nc-Si:H thin films leads to a negative Seebeck coefficient (consistent with n-type doping) with a positive temperature dependence, that is, the Seebeck coefficient becomes larger at higher temperatures. The temperature dependence of the thermopower of the doped a/nc-Si:H is similar to that observed in unhydrogenated a-Si grown by sputtering or following high-temperature annealing of a-Si:H, suggesting that charge transport may occur via hopping in these materials.

Keywords

amorphouscrystallineSi
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1245: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology-2010 , 2010 , 1245-A17-10
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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