Correlations between plasma parameters and the deposition of microcrystalline silicon films by plasma of argon and hydrogen

Abstract

The dissociation of chlorosilanes to microcrystalline silicon and its deposition on a solid substrate in a rf plasma of mixtures of argon and hydrogen was investigated as a function of the macrovariables of the plasma. The dissociation mechanism of chlorosilanes and HCl as well as the formation of silicon in the plasma state were studied by sampling the plasma with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Macrovariables such as pressure, net rf power input, and location in the plasma reactor were found to strongly influence the kinetics of dissociation. The deposition process of microcrystalline silicon films and its chlorine contamination were correlated to the dissociation mechanism of chlorosilanes and to the role of hydrogen chloride.