The technique of electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma enhanced chemica
l vapour deposition (PECVD) is increasingly being used in electronic and ph
otonic device applications. ECR offers a number of advantages including imp
roved control of the deposition process, less damage to the growing film an
d the possibility of high deposition rates. ECR occurs in a plasma under ap
propriate magnetic and electric field conditions. In most cases, as in our
system, this is achieved with a combination of 2.45 GHz microwave radiation
and a 0.0875 T magnetic field, due to the use of standardized microwave su
pplies. We have studied the effects on silicon film growth of changing the
magnetic field configuration to produce one or more planes of ECR within th
e system, and of changing the positions of the plane(s) relative to the dep
osition substrate. The films were grown in silane-hydrogen discharges. The
magnetic field in our system was provided by two electromagnets. It was mea
sured experimentally for a number of operating current values and then a de
tailed profile achieved by modelling using a proprietary software package.
A process condition discharge under identical magnetic field configurations
to growth was analysed by the use of a Langmuir probe and the results corr
elated with film properties determined by Raman spectroscopy and Dektak pro
filometry.