AVS 60th International Symposium and Exhibition
    Thin Film Thursday Sessions
       Session TF-ThP

Paper TF-ThP18
Thin-Film and Crystalline Properties of Silicon Deposited Using a Novel, Low-Damage, Surface Wave Plasma Source

Thursday, October 31, 2013, 6:00 pm, Room Hall B

Session: Thin Films Poster Session
Presenter: P.S. Zonooz, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Authors: P.S. Zonooz, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
J. Peck, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
D. Curreli, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
D.N. Ruzic, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
M. Reilly, Starfire Industries, LLC
B. Jurczyk, Starfire Industries, LLC
R. Stubbers, Starfire Industries, LLC
Correspondent: Click to Email
A novel surface wave plasma device has been developed by Starfire Industries, LLC to deposit amorphous and micro-crystalline silicon at high deposition rates (>2 nm/s) and low defect densities for large-area processing. Testing of this device has been carried out by the Center for Plasma Material Interaction at the University Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Operating in the microwave frequency range, the surface wave generates a high density (>1012 cm-3), low temperature (<2 eV) plasma with excellent uniformity over the excitation area. Using SiH4-H­2as the gas, the surface wave plasma has demonstrated deposition along a continuum between purely amorphous and highly crystalline silicon films. The film phase and quality are controlled by modifying process parameters e.g., RF power, dilution ratio, substrate temperature, substrate-plasma gap distance and gas flow rate. The films were analyzed using Raman Spectroscopy and Microscopy, SEM and X-Ray Diffraction. Using these diagnostics, the parameter space is explored to demonstrate control over deposited silicon phase applicable for photovoltaics. Trends show the relationship between substrate temperature, power density and flow rate with respect to film crystallinity and electrical properties.