Role of chlorine in the nanocrystalline silicon film formation by rf plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of chlorinated materials

Abstract

We demonstrate the disorder-induced low-temperature crystallization in the nanocrystalline silicon film growth by rf plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of H 2-diluted SiH 2Cl 2 and SiCl 4. The combination of the chemical reactivity of SiCl d ( d: dangling bond) and SiHCl complexes and the release of the disorder-induced stress near the growing surface tightly correlate with the phase transitionity of SiCl d and SiHCl complexes near the growing surface with the aid of atomic hydrogen, which induce higher degree of disorder in the a-Si network. These features are most prominent in the SiCl 4 compared with those of SiH 2Cl 2 and SiH 4, which preferentially enhance the nanocrystalline Si formation.