GROWTH OF ER-DOPED SI FILMS BY ELECTRON-CYCLOTRON-RESONANCE PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION

Epitaxial Si films doped with Er have been grown at low substrate temp eratures by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The Er gas sour ce is a sublimed organometallic compound fed into the process chamber. High doping concentrations without silicide precipitation are possibl e because of the low deposition temperatures. The process relies on th e beneficial effects of low energy ion bombardment to reduce the growt h temperature. The ions as well as reactive chemical species are produ ced by an electron cyclotron resonance plasma stream source. A hydroge n/argon plasma is used to perform an in situ predeposition clean to re move oxide from the Si surface. Film quality and impurity concentratio n are determined by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and seconda ry ion mass spectrometry.