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Microstructural Analysis and Modelling of Thin Porous Silicon Layers with Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

L. A. A. Pettersson
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Measurement Technology, Linköping University, S-581 83 Linköping, Sweden, lpe@ifm.liu.se
S. Zangooie
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Measurement Technology, Linköping University, S-581 83 Linköping, Sweden, lpe@ifm.liu.se
R. Bjorklund
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Measurement Technology, Linköping University, S-581 83 Linköping, Sweden, lpe@ifm.liu.se
H. ARWIN
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Measurement Technology, Linköping University, S-581 83 Linköping, Sweden, lpe@ifm.liu.se
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Abstract

Thin porous silicon (PS) layers (30–1000 nm) have been produced by electrochemical anodization of highly p-doped silicon in a hydrofluoric acid electrolyte at constant current density. Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry was used for characterization in the spectral range 1.24–5.00 eV. Four multilayer models were developed for the PS layers. Ellipsometric spectra were fitted for three of these models by utilizing an effective medium approximation for each sublayer containing crystalline silicon and voids. A third constituent, amorphous silicon, was added in the fourth model. Excellent fits to experimental data were obtained in the entire spectral range and thickness and composition of each individual sublayer in the models were determined. The analyses revealed a compositional gradient normal to the surface. The porosity and the fraction of amorphous silicon decreased with film depth, whereas the fraction of crystalline silicon increased. The mean porosity of a PS layer was obtained as the thickness weighted average of the porosities of the sublayers. The proposed multilayer models allow a more detailed analysis of PS layers compared to single layer models.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996

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