Plasma-enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) process monitoring by multi-channel spectrometer

contributed by Avantes | 11/04/2016

A team of scientists from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH and Plasmetrex GmbH in Germany recently conducted research into the benefits of plasma monitoring of Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processes using three complementary in-situ monitoring diagnostic tools: Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES), Mass Spectroscopy and non-linear extended electron dynamics (NEED). During the production of flat panel displays and solar cells two different allotropes of silicon material, hydrogenated amorphous (a-Si:H) and microcrystalline (μc-Si:H) silicon, are commonly deposited using PECVD. Each type of silicon material is typically deposited using gas mixtures of silane (SiH4) and hydrogen (H2), but each with different process conditions. In situ plasma diagnostics reveal parameters such as gas phase composition, electron and ion densities, energy distribution and temperature. All of these parameters influence thin film growth processes and the properties of the resulting thin films.

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