Abstract
The relations between the surface reaction probability β of an atom or a radical in a reactive gas discharge, its diffusive flux to the wall, spatial density profile and temporal density decay during the postdischarge, are examined. Then, the values of β for H, SiH3, and Si2H5 on a growing α-Si:H film, and CH3 and C2H5 on an α-C:H film are derived from the temporal decay of radical densities during the discharge afterglow by using time-resolved threshold ionization mass spectrometry. For SiH3 on α-Si:H, β = 0.28±0.03 in excellent agreement with previous determinations using other experimental approaches, and for Si2H5, 0.1<β<0.3. For H on α-Si:H, 0.4<β<1 and mostly consists of surface recombination as H2, while the etching probability of Si as SiH4 is only ε ≈003 at 350 K in good agreement with other studies of H reaction kinetics on crystalline silicon. At high dilution of SiH4 in H2 the sticking probabilities of Si hydride radicals are affected by the flux of H atoms of hydrogen ions which enhances surface recombination at the expense of sticking. For CH3 or C2H5 on α-C:H it is shown that β is not constant during the discharge afterglow, decreasing from about 0.01 down to 0.001. This reveals that chemisorption of these radicals on the H-saturated α-C-H surface is entirely governed by the competition between desorption and creation of active sites by ion bombardment or H atoms. The differences between the surface reaction kinetics of SiH3 on α-Si:H and CH3 on α-C:H are discussed within a unified model of precursor-mediated chemisorption.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 278-289 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces and Films |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 1 1998 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Surfaces and Interfaces
- Surfaces, Coatings and Films