Combined effect of electrode gap and radio frequency on power deposition and film growth kinetics in SiH4/H2 discharges

The combined effect of the variation of the interelectrode gap (1.3-2.5 cm) and radio frequency (13.56-50 MHz) on the properties of highly diluted silane in hydrogen discharges used for the deposition of microcrystalline silicon thin films is presented. The investigation included electrical and optical discharge measurements as well as the in situ determination of the film growth rite. In the lower frequencies regime, the increase of the interelectrode gap for the same applied voltage results in higher current flows and higher total power dissipation. On the other hand, at 50 MHz the variation of the interelectrode space has only a slight effect on the total power dissipation, due to the low excitation voltage. However, at all frequencies, the increase of the interelectrode space results in a drop of the power dissipation per discharge volume. This is related to the less effective energy transfer to the electrons that is due to the enhancement of the bulk relative to the sheath ohmic heating. The variation of the relative importance of the electron heating modes is reflected in the discharge radical production efficiency and the film growth rate. (C) 2002 American Vacuum Society.