Abstract
We have measured the dependence of the probe characteristics in an Ar plasma on a-Si: H film thickness. The plasma is produced in a chamber of double tubed coaxial line type microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition system. It has been cleared that the ordinary probe characteristics are obtained when the film thickness is less than 40nm. It has also been cleared that a 300nm thick film of a-Si: H deposited on the probe surface can be removed by ion bombardment for 20s in the Ar plasma (electron temperature: Te_??_42, 000K, electron density: ne_??_3.7×1010cm-3) when the bias voltage of -200V is applied to the probe. Using this probe measurement technique, we have measured the spatial distribution of plasma parameters Te, ne in the Ar plasma and the Ar-SiH4 plasma and discussed the difference between these two plasmas.
