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

• Published in: Thin solid films 2001-09, Vol.395 (1-2), p.169-172
• Main Authors: Kamesaki, Koji, Masuda, Atsushi, Izumi, Akira, Matsumura, Hideki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Catalytic chemical sputtering; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Grain size; Incubation time; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Polycrystalline silicon; Seed layer
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/S0040-6090(01)01252-4

We formed large grain-size polycrystalline silicon (Si) on various substrates at low temperatures of approximately 400°C by utilizing chemical transport of silicon-hydride species generated by the reaction between a solid Si target and hydrogen (H) atoms. H atoms are generated by the catalytic cracking reaction between H2 and heated tungsten. We named the method ‘catalytic chemical sputtering’ from an analogy to the conventional physical sputtering. The Si films deposited on Si, thermal oxide and quartz substrates are polycrystalline, and there is no amorphous phase detected by Raman spectroscopy. The grain size exceeds 1 μm for films on thermal oxide substrates, with a thickness of approximately 1 μm at a substrate temperature of 400°C. These grain sizes are larger than those deposited by other deposition methods at comparable low temperatures.