The Plasma Deposition of Semiconductor Multilater Structures

Abstract

AbstractThe early stages of thin film deposition from the rf glow discharge of SiH4 or SiH4 + NH3 have been studied by analysing the structure of silicon based multiiayers consisting of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H, 10 – 200 A thick) and stoichiometric silicon nitride (a-Si3N4:H, 25 – 250 A) alternating layers. The x-ray diffraction, its rocking curve and x-ray interference of the multilayers have shown that the amorphous silicon/silicon nitride interface is atomically abrupt and the surfaces of the respective layers are atomically flat regardless of substrate materials. This indicates that the precursors impinging onto a substrate from the gas phase homogeneously cover the growing surface and the layer by layer growth proceeds on atomic scale. In the plasma deposition of the covalently bonded semiconductors and insulators, the island formation on a substrate surface at the beginning of the thin film growth is very unlikely.