Optical emission diagnostics of electron cyclotron resonance and glow discharge plasmas for a-Si:H and a-SiC:H film depositions

In situ plasma diagnostics for electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) and RF glow discharge deposition have been investigated using the optical emission spectroscopy (OES) technique. The ECR and RF glow discharge plasmas used for a-Si:H and a-SiC:H film depositions are studied by monitoring the emission of SiH*, H*, H*2 and CH*, excited states. The OES of the ECR plasma shows a strong emission at 434 nm from H*, which is not detectable in the glow discharge plasma. Steady-state OES studies have established preliminary correlations between SiH* and CH* emission intensities and the film deposition rate. Transient OES spectra of SiH4 and CH4 plasmas have shown different kinetics in SiH* and CH* emission intensities. Transient studies of the SiH* emission intensity have indicated that additional mechanism for producing the SiH* species become evident in hydrogen diluted silane plasmas