Low power density multihole cathode very-high-frequency plasma for mixed phase Si:H thin films

Journal Article · Mon Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 2008 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3023066· OSTI ID:21175743

Jariwala, C; Bhatt, S; John, P I ^[1]; Chainani, A ^[1]; Eguchi, R; Matsunami, M; Shin, S ^[2]; Dalal, V ^[3]

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1. Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382 428 (India)
2. RIKEN Harima Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Hyogo 679 5148 (Japan)
3. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States)

A low power density very-high-frequency (VHF) (55 MHz) H{sub 2} plasma in a capacitively coupled multihole-cathode (MHC) geometry is studied using Langmuir probe measurements. Radial profiles show a higher ion density (N{sub i}) and lower electron temperature (T{sub e}) compared to a MHC 13.56 MHz H{sub 2} plasma. The N{sub i} dependence on power indicates an Ohmic plasma, while T{sub e} is essentially constant. The MHC-VHF plasma is used to investigate mixed phase microcrystalline+amorphous ({mu}c+a-) Si:H thin films at a substrate temperature of 60 deg. C. High-resolution photoemission suggests two types of Si, with concentrations in agreement with atomic force microscopy images showing {approx}510{+-}40 nm crystallites embedded in a-Si:H matrix. The results show that the low power density MHC-VHF plasma is a high-N{sub i} Ohmic collisional plasma, suitable for low temperature deposition of {mu}c+a-Si:H thin films.

• OSTI ID: 21175743
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 93, Issue 19; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3023066; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
CATHODES
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
COATINGS
COLLISIONAL PLASMA
CRYSTAL GROWTH
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
HYDROGEN
ION DENSITY
ION TEMPERATURE
LANGMUIR PROBE
MHZ RANGE 01-100
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
PHOTOEMISSION
PLASMA DENSITY
POWER DENSITY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON
THIN FILMS