Aforementioned it consists of with the process oxidation the silicon thin film which was formed or nitriding with oxygen or nitrogen making use of the process which forms the silicon thin film which consists of

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily and inexpensively form a silicon nanocrystal structure terminating in oxygen or nitrogen which can be formed on a silicon substrate employing a process for manufacturing a silicon integral circuit and shows a high luminous efficiency wherein particle size of the silicon nanocrystals can be controlled to an accuracy of 1-2 nm and density per unit area can be increased by surely terminating the surface of the formed structure by oxygen or nitrogen.;SOLUTION: In a process for forming the silicon nanocrystal structure, a nanometer-thick silicon thin film comprising silicon crystallites and amorphous silicon is formed on the substrate by heating the substrate to a predetermined temperature in a plasma-treatment chamber, controlling the atmosphere inside the chamber to achieve a vacuum atmosphere containing at least a hydrogenated silicon gas and a hydrogen gas and applying a high-frequency electric field. Then, the silicon thin film is subjected to plasma oxidation or plasma nitriding treatment by discontinuing the application of the high-frequency electric field, replacing the atmosphere inside the chamber with an oxidizing or nitriding gas atmosphere and resuming the application of the high-frequency electric field.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO