Selective deposition of on hydrogenated amorphous silicon is demonstrated using time-modulated silane reactant flow in a low temperature plasma enhanced process. Alternating cycles of thin silicon layer deposition and atomic hydrogen exposure result in silicon layers on receptive surfaces, with no net deposition on nonreceptive areas of the substrate. Selective deposition could be useful to form self-aligned contacts in hydrogenated amorphous silicon ( transistor applications. However, a problem commonly observed in low temperature selective deposition is that the selective process tends to etch amorphous silicon, harming the devices. We describe a technique involving Mo metallization that stabilizes the surface with respect to hydrogen plasma exposure and allows selective deposition on in device structures, while avoiding deposition on the top insulator material. Surfaces and subsequent selective nucleation and growth were characterized using atomic force microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy, which revealed the presence of Mo incorporation in the surface remaining after complete removal of the metal layer. A direct comparison of selective deposition experiments on films prepared with and without Mo treatment demonstrate that the metallization stabilizes nucleation of microcrystalline silicon on amorphous silicon surfaces.
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May 1998
Papers from the 44th national symposium of the AVS
20-24 Oct 1997
San Jose, California (USA)
Research Article|
May 01 1998
Plasma enhanced selective area microcrystalline silicon deposition on hydrogenated amorphous silicon: Surface modification for controlled nucleation
L. L. Smith;
L. L. Smith
Department of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905
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W. W. Read;
W. W. Read
Department of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905
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C. S. Yang;
C. S. Yang
Department of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905
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E. Srinivasan;
E. Srinivasan
Department of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905
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C. H. Courtney;
C. H. Courtney
Department of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905
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H. H. Lamb;
H. H. Lamb
Department of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905
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G. N. Parsons
G. N. Parsons
Department of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905
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J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 16, 1316–1320 (1998)
Article history
Received:
September 30 1997
Accepted:
February 02 1998
Citation
L. L. Smith, W. W. Read, C. S. Yang, E. Srinivasan, C. H. Courtney, H. H. Lamb, G. N. Parsons; Plasma enhanced selective area microcrystalline silicon deposition on hydrogenated amorphous silicon: Surface modification for controlled nucleation. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 1 May 1998; 16 (3): 1316–1320. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.581144
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