Evolution of Structural, Optical, and Electrical Properties of Amorphous Silicon Thin Films Deposited by Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

Amorphous silicon thin films have attracted considerable attention for photovoltaic applications owing to their low material consumption and compatibility with low‐temperature fabrication processes. In this work, amorphous silicon films were deposited on indium tin oxide substrates by radio‐frequency magnetron sputtering. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the films were systematically investigated using atomic force microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and current density–voltage measurements. The results indicate that the deposited films possess an amorphous structure. With increasing sputtering time, both the surface roughness and longitudinal resistance increase gradually, which is mainly attributed to the increase in film thickness. The PL spectra exhibit broad emission bands that are associated with Si4+‐related oxide layers, while the observed redshift can be attributed to the formation of Si2+ states resulting from incomplete oxidation of Si0. These findings provide valuable insights into the structural and electrical characteristics of amorphous silicon films and may contribute to the optimization of thin‐film silicon materials for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.