Time-dependent gas phase kinetics in a hydrogen diluted silane plasma

The gas phase kinetics in a high-pressure hydrogen diluted silane plasma has been studied at time scales of 10−2–6×102 s. The time-resolved gas phase composition shows the following kinetics at different time scales: silane decomposition and polysilane generation in ≲2×10−1 s, nanoparticle formation and plasma density reduction in 10−1–100 s, polysilane accumulation in 100–102 s, and silane depletion and electrode heating in ≳101 s. Disilane radicals are implied to be the dominant film precursors in addition to silyl radicals.