Surface Processes which Control the Deposition and Etching in the Sih₄/H₂/Si(S)-Glow Discharge System: The Competition Between Atoms, Ions and Electronics

Abstract

Depending on the glow discharge conditions, silicon can be either deposited or etched in the SiH₄/H₂/Si(s)-system. At floating potential and close to the Partial Chemical Equilibrium (PCE), the etching<—> deposition process is controlled by the temperature of the sample which, in turn, determines the local departure of the system from the PCE. At a constant temperature and under PCE-conditions, low energy ion and electron bombardment of the surface promotes the deposition and etching, respectively. At ion energies above the threshold for displacement damage, decrease of the deposition and etch yield is observed. A possible mechanistic explanation is suggested.