MEASUREMENT AND CALCULATION OF SIH2 RADICAL DENSITY IN SIH4 AND SI2H6PLASMA FOR THE DEPOSITION OF HYDROGENATED AMORPHOUS-SILICON THIN-FILMS

SiH2 radical density in SiH4 and Si2H6 plasmas diluted with He, Ar and Xe has been measured using intracavity laser absorption spectroscopy, and analyzed by a gas-phase reaction simulation. The density of SiH2 increases with dilution due to increase in dissociation rate of parent -gas molecules. The increase in the dissociation rate for He and Xe di lution originates in the increase of electron energy and density, resp ectively, and both of these contribute for Ar dilution.