The Role of Hydrogen Atoms in Afterglow Deposition of Silicon Thin Films

Silicon thin film deposition resulting from addition of SiH4 to the afterglow of an H2 plasma has been investigated. A simple experiment where a steel insert has been used to quench H atoms in the afterglow indicates that H atoms from the plasma are not required for film growth. It is proposed that the results are most easily interpreted using a model where SiH2 is the growth precursor.