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Experimental Study of Silane Plasma Nanoparticle Formation in Amorphous Silicon Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

S. Thompson ,
C. R. Perrey ,
T. J. Belich ,
C. Blackwell ,
C. B. Carter ,
J. Kakalios  and
U. Kortshagen
S. Thompson
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
C. R. Perrey
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
T. J. Belich
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
C. Blackwell
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
C. B. Carter
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
J. Kakalios
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
U. Kortshagen
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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Abstract

RF glow discharge deposited hydrogenated amorphous silicon films containing silicon nanocrystalline inclusions (a/nc-Si:H) films are investigated as a function of a thermal gradient applied across the silane plasma during film growth. The a/nc-Si:H films are synthesized from hydrogen-diluted silane plasmas when a capacitively-coupled plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor is operated at high gas chamber pressures. Plasma diagnostics and transmission electron microscopy image analysis of films deposited with and without a thermal gradient suggest that nanoparticle formation occurs within the plasma, rather than resulting from solid-state nucleation at the growing film surface.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 862: Symposium A – Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Silicon Science and Technology–2005 , 2005 , A8.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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