Application of thermodynamics to chemical vapor deposition

Processing of thin films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is accompanied by chemical reactions, in which the rigorous kinetic analysis is difficult to achieve. In these conditions, thermodynamic calculation leads to better understanding of the CVD process and helps to optimise the experimental parameters to obtain a desired product. A CVD phase diagram has been used as guide lines for the process. By determining the effect of each process variable on the driving force for deposition, the thermodynamic limit for the substrate temperature that diamond can deposit is calculated in the C-H system by assuming that the limit is defined by the CVD diamond phase diagram. The addition of iso-supersaturation ratio lines to the CVD phase diagram in the Si-Cl-H system provides additional information about the effects of CVD process variables.