Intrinsic stress induced by substrate bias in amorphous hydrogenated silicon thin films

Amorphous hydrogenated silicon thin films were deposited as a function of substrate self-bias in the range of 10 to 450 V using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Cares were taken to minimize the effect on stress from other parameters such as deposition rate, temperature, and hydrogen content. The intrinsic stress was measured as a function of the substrate self-bias in such a wide range of bias, perhaps firstly, for this material. The curve behaves in a manner common to many materials formed as thin films, showing an initial increase to a maximum followed by a decrease as energy increases. A number of modified stress models were proposed with additional physical implication that together with existing models were used to fit the data. Their degree of agreement with the data is analyzed and discussed.