Detailed structural study of low temperature mixed-phase Si films by X-TEM and ambient conductive AFM

Microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) thin films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) at 37 °C has been studied by cross-sectional TEM and ambient conductive AFM. We have succeeded in the combined measurement of topography and local conductivity under standard ambient conditions, overcoming the surface native oxide by more sensitive (pA range) current detection. We observed the columnar structure of the amorphous phase in the TEM micrograph and related it to the surface corrugation of the same size detected by AFM.