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Detection of SiH3 radicals and cluster formation in a highly H2 diluted SiH4 VHF plasma by means of time resolved cavity ring down spectroscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Takehiko Nagai ,
Arno H. M. Smets  and
Michio Kondo
Takehiko Nagai
Affiliation:
[email protected], National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Research Center for Photovoltaics, Umezono 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan, +81-29-861-3449, +81-29-861-3367
Arno H. M. Smets
Affiliation:
[email protected], National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Research Center for Photovoltaics, Umezono 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan
Michio Kondo
Affiliation:
[email protected], National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Research Center for Photovoltaics, Umezono 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan
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Abstract

The spatial distribution of the SiH3 radicals between the electrodes of a hydrogen diluted silane VHF plasma under thin film hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) growth conditions has been measured using the time resolved cavity ringdown (τ-CRD) absorption spectroscopy technique. The μc-Si:H growth rate is estimated from the measured spatial SiH3 profiles using a simple model based upon diffusion controlled flux of SiH3 radicals to the electrode surface, where the SiH3 can react with the film surface. The calculated value of μc-Si:H growth rate roughly agrees with the value of the experimentally determined growth rate. This agreement implies that the SiH3 radical is the main growth contributor to the μc-Si:H growth. Furthermore, the τ-CRD reveals the growth kinetics of the clusters in the plasma by light scattering at these clusters on time scales of 1 s after the plasma ignition.

Keywords

amorphousplasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) (deposition)cluster assembly
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 910: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology – 2006 , 2006 , 0910-A08-07
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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