Optimization of the post deposition annealing process of high mobility In2O3 H for photovoltaic applications

High mobility hydrogen doped indium oxide In2O3 H IOH were deposited by magnetron sputtering radio frequency 13.56 MHz from an In2O3 target in Ar O2 H2O gas mixtures onto unheated substrates. The as deposited films were amorphous as shown by X ray measurements and were crystallized in a post annealing step in vacuum and air at 180 C for 15 min. The optical, electrical, and morphological properties as well as the crystallization behavior of these transparent conductive oxides films were investigated in detail. A dependence of the annealing behavior in air on the total pressure during deposition could be shown. High carrier mobilities gt; 100 cm2 Vs allow for very low optical absorption and a low resistivity around 350 amp; 956; amp; 937;cm. Amorphous IOH films were crystallized by short term flash lamp annealing FLA in argon atmosphere for around 2.7 ms. Spatial temperature distributions in a typical layer stack crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, silicon oxide, and IOH film were calculated within milliseconds after the FLA treatment. Electron backscattering diffraction measurements of IOH films crystallized by FLA reveal a polycrystalline microstructure with an average lateral crystallite size of 333 nm. The crystallization process of these IOH films was studied by XRD and Hall measurement