Film formation mechanisms in the plasma deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon

摘要

By studying the step coverage of plasma‐deposited amorphous silicon and germanium on patterned substrates, we find that the film formation process under device‐quality deposition conditions has a substantial component that behaves like a surface rate‐limited chemical vapor deposition process, while conditions producing defective material are associated with a much more physical‐vapor‐deposition‐like process. An explanation involving surface reactions of SiHx radicals is proposed.