In-situ monitoring of DC saddle-field plasma-assisted deposition of amorphous silicon and silicon nitride

The excitation processes in a DC glow discharge ignited using a saddle-field electrode configuration have been examined using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) for discharges established in SiH4, and in Ar/SiH4 and N2/SiH4 gas mixtures. The emission intensities of excited gas-phase species are correlated with plasma probe mass and energy spectral analysis of the resulting reactive radicals impinging onto the substrate holder. Discharges …