Growth of amorphous silicon by low temperature plasma

Large area, uniform semiconductor materials are indispensable for the application of solar batteries, this film transistor array and so on. One of the features of amorphous materials including glass is to obtain such large area, uniform materials. The course of development of amorphous silicon is briefly described. However, amorphous materials form various network structures according to the method of manufacture, and the properties of thin films change. The rate of deposition of films and the change of hydrogen content in the films when the temperature of substrates is changed are shown, and the process of film growth from SiH4 plasma advances in three steps: the decomposition of SiH4 and radical formation, the transport of radicals to the surface of a substrate, and the surface reaction of film growth. These three processes are explained. Recently, the example of controlling the structure of amorphous silicon system alloy materials has been reported. Thus the understanding of film growth process from nonequilibrium reaction plasma has progressed. About the grwoth of amorphous silicon using glow discharge plasma, mainly the process within the plasma is reported. (Kako, I)