Thermally Induced Nano-Structural and Optical Changes of nc-Si:H Deposited by Hot-Wire CVD.

We report on the thermally induced changes of the nano-structural and optical properties of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon in the temperature range 200-700 degrees C. The as-deposited sample has a high crystalline volume fraction of 53% with an average crystallite size of ~3.9 nm, where 66% of the total hydrogen is bonded as identical withSi-H monohydrides on the nano-crystallite surface.