Ultrafast deposition of microcrystalline silicon films using high-density microwave plasma

For fast deposition of microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) films, a microwave-induced high-density plasma source is developed. By using this plasma source, highly crystallized μc-Si:H films can be deposited from SiH4+He plasma without even using H2 dilution and substrate heating. A systematic deposition study shows that the film deposition rate increases with increase in the input microwave power and the SiH4 flow rate. The film crystallinity also improves with power but degrades with increase in the SiH4 flux. After optimizing the plasma conditions, the deposition of a highly crystallized μc-Si film has been realized at an ultrafast deposition rate higher than 700 nm/s.