Plasma Synthesis of Silicon Nanoparticles for Next Generation Photovoltaics

Silicon nanoparticles can be synthesized in a standard radio-frequency glow discharge system at low temperature (${\sim}200^{\circ}C$). Plasma synthesis of silicon nanoparticles, initially a side effect of powder formation, has become over the years an exciting field of research which has opened the way to new opportunities in the field of materials deposition and their application to optoelectronic devices. Hydrogenated polymorphous silicon (pm-Si:H) has a peculiar microstructure, namely a small volume fraction of plasma synthesized silicon nanoparticles embedded in an amorphous matrix, which originates from the unique deposition mechanism. Detailed discussion on plasma synthesis of silicon nanoparticles, growth mechanism and photovoltaic application of pm-Si:H will be presented.