Structure and properties of silicon oxide films deposited in a dual microwave-rf plasma reactor

The characterisation of SiOx thin films deposited from hexamethyldisiloxane in a microwave plasma reactor showed they were carbon containing and porous. With the aim of improving the film quality, the substrate holder was biased with the use of a 13.56-MHz radio-frequency power supply. Results on chemical structure, deposition rate and optical emission spectroscopy are reported. The rf-induced negative bias voltage affected both gas phase reactions and film composition. Moreover, it induced change in the deposition rate. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.