The role of ion-bulk interactions during high rate deposition of microcrystalline silicon by means of the multi-hole-cathode VHF plasma

The high rate deposition of microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) by means of the novel multi-hole-cathode very high frequency (MHC-VHF) plasma technique has been studied in the high-pressure depletion region (9.3 Torr). A distinct relationship between vacancy incorporation, the crystalline volume fraction and a qualitative measurement of the energy of the ions bombarding the substrate has been found. The observed relation is explained with the help of an ion-phase-diagram: we claim that the most energetic ions, containing at least one silicon atom, are responsible for the local amorphization of the μc-Si:H films via the ion induced Si bulk displacement mechanism.