PROCESS FOR FORMING SILICON NANOCRYSTAL STRUCTURE TERMINATING IN OXYGEN OR NITROGEN AND THE SILICON NANOCRYSTAL STRUCTURE FORMED THROUGH THE SAME

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