High-speed growth of silicon thin films by EBEP-CVD using Si/sub 2/H/sub 6/

Nanocrystalline silicon (Si) films are grown by electron-beam-excited plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (EBEP-CVD) using Si/sub 2/H/sub 6/ as a source gas. Above 500/spl deg/C, the deposition rate decreases as the deposition temperature decreases. Below 500/spl deg/C, the deposition rate is almost constant independent of the deposition temperature, and is about ten times higher than that obtained by using SiH/sub 4/. At lower temperature region, the hydrogen atoms adsorbed on a Si surface hinder the source gas Si/sub 2/H/sub 6/ decomposition. In the plasma, many hydrogen atoms are generated. They help hydrogen atoms on the surface to disrobe and the number of hydrogen supplied to the growing surface determine the deposition rate. The high crystalline ratio is obtained above 400/spl deg/C. (400) peaks are observed by the XRD measurements, indicating that the preferential oriented film is grown. This orientation is determined by the substrate orientation (100). As a result, both high-growth deposition rate and high crystalline ratio at low temperature (400/spl deg/C) are achieved by EBEP CVD.