Proposal of catalytic chemical sputtering method and its application to prepare large grain size poly-Si

We formed large grain-size polycrystalline silicon (Si) on various substrat es at low temperatures of approximately 400 degreesC by utilizing chemical transport of silicon-hydride species generated by the reaction between a so lid Si target and hydrogen (H) atoms. H atoms are generated by the catalyti c cracking reaction between H-2 and heated tungsten. We named the method 'c atalytic chemical sputtering' from an analogy to the conventional physical sputtering. The Si films deposited on Si, thermal oxide and quartz substrat es are polycrystalline, and there is no amorphous phase detected by Raman s pectroscopy. The grain size exceeds 1 mum for films on thermal oxide substr ates, with a thickness of approximately 1 mum at a substrate temperature of 400 degreesC. These grain sizes are larger than those deposited by other d eposition methods at comparable low temperatures. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.