Structural investigation and growth of <n>-type microcrystalline silicon prepared at different plasma excitation frequencies

Phosphorus doped microcrystalline silicon films prepared with very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition are characterized with respect to their structural properties in order to get information on the growth processes of this material. As deposition parameter the plasma excitation frequency is varied from 27 to 116 MHz. The experimental results suggest that the growth of microcrystalline silicon is induced by the chemical equilibrium of deposition and etching, where the etching is predominantly given by the erosion of the amorphous phase.