Nanocrystalline silicon formation in a SiH4 plasma cell

Nanometer sized crystalline (nc) Si formation in the SiH4 plasma cell with very-high-frequency (144 MHz) excitation has been investigated with the Ar and H-2 dilution method. The SiH4 plasma cell is attached to the ultra-high-vacuum chamber. The crystalline Si is formed in the gas phase of the plasma cell by coalescence of radicals produced from SiH4. The nc-Si is extracted out of the plasma cell through the orifice to the ultra-high-vacuum chamber. The deposition rate increases with Ar dilution and decreases with H-2 dilution. The average grain size decreases with H-2 dilution. The dependence of the deposition rate and the grain size on the dilution condition is discussed.