Polarization-dependent Raman spectra of thin crystalline silicon films

Polarization-dependent Raman spectra are presented to analyze the structural properties of epitaxial, quasiepitaxial, and microcrystalline silicon films deposited on (100) single-crystal silicon substrates by electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition. We rotate the sample with respect to the polarization direction of the incident laser light and observe the changes in Raman scattering. The measurements are very effective in differentiating between films with a preferred orientation and those that are randomly oriented or amorphous. An interesting anisotropy has been observed for quasiepitaxial films for which the spectra resemble those of single-crystal wafers under normal measurement conditions. However, at sample orientations where the scattering intensity is minimized, additional structure on the low-energy side of the main silicon TO-phonon peak becomes visible. This is tentatively attributed to scattering from crystalline and amorphouslike grain-boundary regions. Polarization-dependent Raman spectra are able to provide useful information on the structure of these films which would normally be masked by the main silicon optical-phonon peak.