The chapter is devoted to the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy.
The theory of both techniques has been briefly treated and the most widely used experimental
apparatus have been described. The use of the FTIR and Raman spectroscopy for the characterization
of silicon based films and the optimization of microcrystalline solar cell parameters, as examples of
applications, have been reported. In particular, it has been shown that by means of FTIR it is possible
to detect oxygen impurity in microcrystalline silicon, to individuate the device grade microcrystalline
silicon for solar cells fabrication and to study the phase transition due to the thermal annealing of
amorphous silicon carbon alloys (a-Si1-xCx:H) and a-Si1-xCx:H/SiC multilayers. Furthermore, it has
been demonstrated that the Raman spectroscopy can be used for the optimization of J-V parameters of
microcrystalline silicon solar cells, for the study of boron doping effect on the crystalline volume
fraction in microcrystalline silicon carbon, for the investigation of crystallization process induced by
thermal annealing in a-Si1-xCx:H/SiC multilayers, for determining the influence of the carbon alloying
as well as the substrate on the crystalline volume fraction in nanostructured silicon carbon films and,
finally, for the study on the medium range order in nanocrystalline silicon.
Keywords: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, raman scattering, vibrational modes,
structural properties, silicon (hydrogenated) thin films, silicon carbon (hydrogenated) thin films,
silicon nanocrystallites, solar cells parameters, thermal annealing, plasma enhanced chemical
vapour deposition, average grain dimension, crystalline volume fraction, microstructure factor,
oxygen impurities.
