Growth Model of Hydrogenated Microcrystalline Silicon Prepared by RF Sputtering in Pure Hydrogen

Abstract

Microcrystalline hydrogenated silicon (μc-Si: H) which consists of very small silicon microcrystals surrounded by hydrogen atoms can be fabricated by RF sputtering in pure hydrogen onto a low temperature (about 100 K) substrate. We propose the growth model for such Si: H material, in which the inicrocrystals have been partially formed in the gas phase by the reaction of SiH₃ radicals, and then rearranged and reacted each other on the substrate by the light irradiation effect from the hydrogen plasma. This model can well explain our experimental results as well as the estimation from other fabrication methods such as plasma chemical vapor deposition.