The Generation of High-Density Microwave Plasma and Its Application to Large-Area Microcrystalline Silicon Thin Film Formation

A low-temperature, uniform, and high-density microwave plasma (2.45 GHz) is produced utilizing a spokewise antenna with no use of magnetic field. The plasma maintains a uniform state in Ar low pressure of 10 mTorr with high electron density, >1011 cm-3, and temperature less than of 2.5 eV within ±6% over a 16 cm diameter. Highly crystallized, photoconductive, hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon, µc-Si:H film is produced from dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2), H2 and Ar mixture at a high deposition rate of more than 5 Å/s. This plasma source has high potential not only for etching but also for the large-area film deposition processes.