The generation of high-density microwave plasma and its application to large-area microcrystalline silicon thin film formation

A low-temperature, uniform, and high-density microwave plasma (2.45 GHz) is produced utilizing a spokewise antenna with no use of magnetic field. The plasma maintains a uniform state in Ar low pressure of 10 mTorr with high electron density, > 10(11) cm(-3), and temperature less than of 2.5 eV within +/-6% over a 16 cm diameter. Highly crystallized, photoconductive, hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon, mu c-Si:H film is produced from dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2), H-2 and Ar mixture at a high deposition rate of more than 5 Angstrom/s. This plasma source has high potential not only for etching but also for the large-area firn deposition processes.