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VHF Plasma Deposition: A Comparative Overview

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

A. Shah,
J. Dutta,
N. Wyrsch,
K. Prasad,
H. Curtins,
F. Finger,
A. Howling and
Ch. Hollenstein
A. Shah
Affiliation:
Institut de Microtechnique, University of Neuchâtel, Breguet 2, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
J. Dutta
Affiliation:
On leave from the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 700032 Calcutta, India.
N. Wyrsch
Affiliation:
Institut de Microtechnique, University of Neuchâtel, Breguet 2, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
K. Prasad
Affiliation:
Institut de Microtechnique, University of Neuchâtel, Breguet 2, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
H. Curtins
Affiliation:
Institut de Microtechnique, University of Neuchâtel, Breguet 2, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
F. Finger
Affiliation:
At present at Forschungszentrum, D-5170 Jiilich, Germany.
A. Howling
Affiliation:
CRPP/EPFL, Av. des Bains 21, CH-1007 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Ch. Hollenstein
Affiliation:
CRPP/EPFL, Av. des Bains 21, CH-1007 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Abstract

The use of plasma excitation frequencies f in the VHF band (30–300 MHz), and particularly of f=70 MHz, for the high-rate deposition of amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) is described. Deposition rates, using monosilane (SiH4) as source gas, are thereby increased roughly five fold to over 10 Å/s as compared with the conventional case of RF plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition with f=13.56 MHz. This may possibly be attributed to an enhancement in the high-energy tail of the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) of the plasma. Thereby, no noticeable deterioration in film properties is found.

Characteristics of VHF-deposited a-Si:H films are extensively reported, including properties like microstructure, hydrogen effusion behaviour and its low internal mechanical stress. High quality hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) can be deposited at low substrate temperature and low plasma power densities thanks to VHF glow discharge. This can be linked to a reduction in sheath potential and to the energy of the ions arriving at the growing surface. Thereafter, use of VHF plasma in applications such as 100 μm thick a-Si:H layer for particle detectors and powder-free deposition of solar cells with efficiencies over 8% are reported.

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Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 258: Symposium A – Amorphous Silicon Technology – 1992 , 1992, 15
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

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References

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