Electron-beam-generated plasma in a silane-argon mixture: theory and applications

Summary form only given. The Monte Carlo (MC) method was used for the simulation of the energy- and space-dependent electron flux in the silane-argon mixture excited by an electron beam. Anisotropic elastic scattering, ionization, and excitation of electronic states for e-Ar and e-SiH/sub 4/ collisions, as well as excitation of silane´s vibrational states for e-SiH/sub 4/ collisions were considered. The calculations cover the complete range of the mixture composition. Results for the number of vibrationally excited, dissociated into neutral fragments, and ionized molecules of SiH/sub 4/ are presented. The present study shows that a change in silane ratio of the mixture substantially modifies the relation of excitation rates of various SiH/sub 4/ states at any spatial position along the beam axis. This is important for the electron beam and the laser induced fluorescence diagnostic techniques of gas flows, and methods used to deposit or etch films. In the final stage, the deposition of films from low density jet excited by an electron beam were investigated. The model combines a MC code for interaction of an electron beam with nonuniform gas flow with standard direct simulation MC techniques for the transport of molecules and gas surface interaction. Calculations were performed for plasma jet of Ar with small portion of monosilane (10%). The data on the film thickness of a-Si:H film were compared with results of deposition rate computation.