The Crystalline Quality of Si Films Prepared by Thermal- and Photo-CVD at Low Temperatures

Various silicon films were prepared by thermal- and UV photo-CVD processes. The reactants were SiH4, Si2H6, SiH2F2, SIF4, and H2. Silicon films grown at temperatures below $500 ^{\circ}C$ were either amorphous or crystalline depending on the process conditions, and the growth rates ranged between 5 and $80\AA$min. Crystallinity of the film was improved even at $250^{\circ}C$ when the film was grown by photo-CVD using fluoro-silanes as the reactants. Analysis of the film by RBS, SIMS, XRD, and ex-situ IR indicated that substrate surface was contaminated by oxygen and other impurities when the reactants contained neither hydrogen nor fluoro-silnanes, but when fluoro-silanes were used as reactants the silicon film was highly crystalline.