Hydrogen plasma induced crystallization of Si thin films by remote inductively coupled plasma source assistant pulsed dc twin magnetron sputtering

Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon thin films (μc-Si:H) were deposited by remote inductively coupled plasma assistant pulsed dc twin magnetron sputtering at temperatures below 300 °C. The formation of μc-Si:H was only found in the environment of hydrogen plasma, where Ar and H2 mixed gas was used. In pure argon plasma or without the assistance of ICP in the Ar/H2 gas mixtures, all the samples were amorphous structure. It suggested that ICP hydrogen plasma which enhanced the density and energy of H radicals played the key role in the formation of μc-Si:H films.