Temperature dependence of the growth rate of silicon prepared through chemical vapor deposition from silane

Abstract

Below about 650 °C a new region is reported in the temperature dependence of the growth rate of silicon through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from SiH₄ in H₂ at atmospheric pressure (E_act = 51 kcal/mole). Emissivity measurements during and after deposition offer experimental evidence for the presence of a hydrogenated layer a‐Si:H near the surface of the growing material. At higher surface temperatures the activation energy (32–38 kcal/mole) depends on the silane partial pressure. The solid growth is amorphous on both sides of the transition, which is governed by the incorporation of hydrogen.