This remarkable longevity is due to the continuous emergence of new scientific questions and new technological challenges for silicon thin films. Earlier there was a strong emphasis on methods to achieve high deposition rates using plasma or hot-wire chemical vapor deposition, and on the properties and applications of nanocrystalline silicon films, which for example have been incorporated into stacked a-Si:H/nc-Si:H solar cells. The papers appearing in this book are sorted under six chapter headings on the basis of subject matter. Chapter I is concerned with amorphous network structures, electronic metastability, defects, and photoluminescence. Chapter II focuses on thin-film transistors and imager arrays. Chapter III covers solar cells. Chapter IV addresses growth mechanisms, hot-filament CVD, and nc-Si:H growth. Chapter V contains all remaining topics in film growth, especially those related to devices. Finally, Chapter VI focuses on crystallized film.
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