The present paper deals with the investigation of Argon ions – substrate
interactions during film growth and their influence on sputtered
hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films structural properties.
These interactions are characterized by mean of the calculation of the
energy distribution of Ar ions striking the substrate and their striking
force measurement in the case of Rf diode sputtering. The influence of the
Ar ions bombardment on structural and physical properties of amorphous
silicon thin properties is discussed. The ion bombardment affects the film
growth processes and consequently, it causes films densification and
evolution of film microstructure from amorphous state at low power towards a
microcrystalline material with increasing the Rf power.