Rf sputtering for preparing substantially pure amorphous silicon monohydride

Patent · Tue Oct 12 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6735091

Jeffrey, F R; Shanks, H R

A process for controlling the dihydride and monohydride bond densities in hydrogenated amorphous silicon produced by reactive rf sputtering of an amorphous silicon target. There is provided a chamber with an amorphous silicon target and a substrate therein with the substrate and the target positioned such that when rf power is applied to the target the substrate is in contact with the sputtering plasma produced thereby. Hydrogen and argon are fed to the chamber and the pressure is reduced in the chamber to a value sufficient to maintain a sputtering plasma therein, and then rf power is applied to the silicon target to provide a power density in the range of from about 7 watts per square inch to about 22 watts per square inch to sputter an amorphous silicon hydride onto the substrate, the dihydride bond density decreasing with an increase in the rf power density. Substantially pure monohydride films may be produced.

• Assignee: Department Of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4353788
• OSTI ID: 6735091
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360000* -- Materials
AMORPHOUS STATE
ARGON
DEPRESSURIZATION
ELEMENTS
FILMS
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
PLASMA
POWER DENSITY
PRODUCTION
RARE GASES
RF SYSTEMS
SEMIMETALS
SILANES
SILICON
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SPUTTERING
SUBSTRATES
TARGETS