Growth and Structure of Microcrystalline Silicon by Reactive DC Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

ABSTRACTWe have deposited microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si) at low temperature by reactive dc magnetron sputtering. The structure and crystallinity of the films are analyzed by in situ spectroscopie ellipsometry. μc-Si growth occurs at deposition conditions with substrate temperature between 150 – 300 °C and hydrogen partial pressure above 4 mtorr. We have also observed that the deposition rate strongly affects the interface structure. At a rate of 21 À/min, a 230 Å thick amorphous layer appears at the interface of film and glass substrate. The interface layer thickness decreases with deposition rate, and becomes undiscernible for growth rates ∼ 2 Å/min. The thickness of the interface layer is also found to depend on substrates.