Simulation of the growth of hydrogenated amorphous silicon films from an rf discharge plasma

A model describing the growth of a film of amorphous silicon from an rf silane discharge plasma is constructed. Estimates are obtained on the basis of recent experimental data for several constants of electron-stimulated dissociation reactions. The role of different components and the influence of the principal parameters (pressure, electrode spacing, electron density) on the film growth process are analyzed by numerically solving a system of chemical-kinetic equations. Analytical dependences on the system parameters, characterizing the growth rate of the film and its quality, respectively, are obtained for fluxes of silane and silylyl onto the surface. The analytical expressions closely approximate the results of the numerical calculations and permit the performance of parametric investigations.