HOT PLASMA BOX GLOW-DISCHARGE REACTOR FOR PRODUCTION OF UNIFORM FILMS OF HYDROGENATED AMORPHOUS-SILICON ALLOYS

A hot plasma box (HPB) glow discharge (GD) reactor that allows production of large area (above 150 cm2) uniform films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon alloys is described. The HPB admits the silane gas through a perforated cathode plate and permits the product gases to escape through a perforated substrate holder plate (SHP). The perforations located at the periphery of the SHP limit the gas flow in the HPB crudely to Knudsen effusion flow. The deposition rate as well as the thickness uniformity over the large radius of the substrates were found to be superior to those of conventional open parallel plate GD reactors. The various physical properties of the films produced in the HPB are reported. Films prepared with a high rate of deposition were found to have the best electronic and optical quality.