CONTROLLING THE MORPHOLOGY OF CVD FILMS

The morphology of the gas-solid interface during typical chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes is investigated. The dynamic behavior of the interface depends on many factors, including local curvature of the film, reactant diffusion, adsorption equilibrium, surface kinetics, and mobility of adatoms. These factors depend on material properties of the system and reactor conditions, such as the deposition temperature and pressure. A 2-D model proposed describes the evolution of the interface in Cartesian coordinates under the influence of stabilizing and destabilizing effects. A linear stability analysis is used to predict under which conditions a planar interface becomes unstable. Stability criteria of a simplified 1-D analysis is not necessarily valid if the real system has more than one dimension. The substrate temperature and reactor pressure are important factors affecting the stability of film growth and thus the morphology of CVD films. An increase in temperature stabilizes planar film growth if the deposition is diffusion-limited, but destabilizes it if the process is reaction-controlled. The reactor pressure has a destabilizing effect on planar film growth during a typical CVD process.