In situ thickness control during plasma deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon films by time-resolved microwave conductivity measurements

Abstract

Transient photoconductivity measurements have been performed in situ during plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of amorphous hydrogenated silicon by a contactless method that uses the change of the microwave reflection after laser pulse illumination. Through the use of the interference pattern of the amplitude of the transients of microwave reflection during the layer growth, the actual thickness of the amorphous film can be determined. In the case of crystalline silicon substrates, the change in the light absorption in the substrate modified by the growth of the amorphous layer is measured directly. An example of the optimization of antireflective layers on crystalline silicon substrates is shown. A good agreement is found between the experimental data and calculations of optical reflection and transmission on the multilayer structures.