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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 February 2011
Two versions of a deposition method referred to as CYCLIC-CVD are presented. Both are based on the repetition of cycles involving two steps: a) a thin a-Si:H layer deposition and b) a hydrogen plasma treatment. In the first version the cycles consist of a thermal CVD deposition step at 500–550 °C followed by a hydrogen plasma step. Device quality a-Si:H films of less than 3 at.% hydrogen content have been prepared. In the second version, which we call Closed Chamber CVD (CC-CVD) the deposition step is done by conventional PE CVD. However, the hydrogenation step is performed with closed reactor chamber. The latter step provides conservation of silicon mass at an equilibrium between H-etching and redeposition. As a result, μc-Si films of high crystallinity are produced with a high overall deposition rate.