The influence of substrate morphology on the growth of thin silicon films: A GISAXS study

Thin Si films, with thickness between 100 and 300 nm, were deposited by PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition) in silane gas (SiH4) highly diluted by hydrogen. The degree of dilution and the discharge power were varied in order to obtain different crystalline to amorphous fractions in the films. Two types of substrates were used. The first one was amorphous and relatively flat while the second one was polycrystalline with a roughness of a few tens of nanometers. The crystal fraction in the deposited samples, as estimated by Raman spectroscopy, varied between 0 and 40%, and the individual crystal size was between 2 and 8 nm. The larger individual crystals are usually present in those samples with the highest crystal fraction. The sample density, estimated upon the spectral distribution of the dielectric function in the infra red, was 15-25% less than the density of crystalline silicon. The GISAXS pattern of all of the examined samples indicated the presence of not-spherical-like "particles" in the "bulk" of the thin films, with an average "particle" size between 1.5 and 4 nm. These "particles" are most probably voids and their shape indicates columnar growth. By applying the GISAXS technique on samples deposited on different substrates, the borderline deposition conditions between "transport limited growth" and "growth dominantly influenced by plasma surface reactions" was estimated. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.