Synthesis of microcrystalline silicon at room temperature using ICP

Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) channel layers were synthesized at a temperature below 100°C by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) methods. High ionization efficiency and low ion bombardment from the ICP, enabled the use of high ICP power and, thus, extremely dense plasma or markedly increased electron temperature, promoting the diffusion capability of the reactive radicals that eventually yield ICP μc-Si:H films with large grains of several tens of nanometers, a high deposition rate of 5 Å/s, and a smooth roughness of ∼1 nm. Accordingly, the epitaxial growth of μc-Si:H films at room temperature is demonstrated.