Powder evolution at low powers in silane-argon discharge - art. no. 044913

摘要

Powder formation in a 13.56-MHz radio frequency (rf) capacitive glow discharge plasma of silane-argon mixture has been studied by in situ laser light-scattering measurements. The rf power density (P-rf) was varied from 18 to 53 mW/cm(2). At high P-rf the light scattering occurs all along the discharge and extends even beyond the exit end of the electrodes toward the pumping system. With decreasing P-rf the maximum intensity of the light scattering decreases and the scattering zone shrinks and moves toward the exit end. With P(rf)approximate to 20 mW/cm(2) a very bright scattering zone only a few centimeters wide appears located at the electrodes outlet. The powders studied by transmission electron microscopy did not show a drastic decrease of their sizes with P-rf though clear coagulation of small particles is observed at high P-rf. In this paper we have tried to link the laser light-scattering evolution with P-rf to various parameters such as the microstructure factor, the deposition rate, the electron mobility x lifetime product, the density of states, and the minority-carriers diffusion length of the films in an attempt to link the effect the evolution of powder formation to the films properties. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.