Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T07:48:04.413Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Formation and Behavior of Particles in Silane Discharges

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Alan Gallagher
Alan Gallagher*
Affiliation:
JILA, University of Colorado and National Institute for Standards and Technology Boulder, CO 80309-0440 Member, Quantum Physics Division, NIST. E-mail address:, [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Particle growth in silane RF discharges, and the incorporation of particles into hydrogenated-amorphous-silicon (a-Si:H) devices is described. These particles have a structure similar to a-Si:H, but their incorporation into the device is believed to yield harmful voids and interfaces. Measurements of particle density and growth in a silane RF plasma, for particle diameters of 8-50 nm, are described. This particle growth rate is very rapid, and decreases in density during the growth indicate a major flux of these size particles to the substrate. Particle densities are a very strong function of pressure, film growth rate and electrode gap, increasing orders of magnitude for small increases in each parameter. A full plasma- chemistry model for particle growth from SiHm radicals and ions has been developed, and is outlined. It yields particle densities and growth rates, as a function of plasma parameters, which are in qualitative agreement with the data. It also indicates that, in addition to the diameter >2 nm particles that have been observed in films, a very large flux of SixH,, molecular radicals with × >1 also incorporate into the film. It appears that these large radicals yield more than 1% of the film for typical device-deposition conditions, so this may have a serious effect on device properties.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 557: Symposium A – Amorphous and Heterogeneous Silicon Thin Films—Fundamentals to Devices—1999 , 1999 , 3
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Daugherty, J. E., Perteous, R. K., Kilgore, M. D., and Graves, D. B., J. Appl. Phys. 72, 3934 (1992).Google Scholar
2. Tanenbaum, D. M., Laracuente, A. L., and Gallagher, A., Appl. Phys. Lett. 68, 1705 (1996).Google Scholar
3. Roth, R. M., Spears, K. G., Stein, G. D., and Wong, G., Appl. Phys. Lett. 46, 253 (1985).Google Scholar
4. Howling, A. A., Sansonnens, L., Dorier, J.-L., and Hollenstein, Ch., J. Appl. Phys. 75, 1340 (1994).Google Scholar
5. Boufendi, L., Plain, A., Blondeau, J. Ph., Bouchoule, A., Laure, C., and Toogood, T., Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 169 (1992).Google Scholar
6. Jelenkovic, B. M. and Gallagher, A., J. Appl. Phys. 82, 1546 (1997).Google Scholar
7. Gallagher, A., Barzen, S., Childs, M., and Laraquente, A., “Atomic Scale Characterization of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Films and Devices” NREL/SR-520-24760, Golden, Colorado (June 1998); M. A. Childs and A. Gallagher, in preparation.Google Scholar
8. Gallagher, A., J. Appl. Phys. 63, 2406 (1988).Google Scholar
9. Perrin, J., Leroy, O., and Bordage, M. C., Plasma Phys. 36, 1 (1996).Google Scholar
10. Haller, I., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A1, 1376 (1983).Google Scholar
11. Gallagher, A. and Scott, J., “Diagnostics of a Glow Discharge Used To Produce Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Films,” Annual Report to Solar Energy Research Institute (now NREL) for Contract XJ-0-9053-1, Golden, Colorado (April 1981).Google Scholar