Plasma-Initiated Laser Deposition of Polycrystalline and Monocrystalline Silicon Films

This paper reports a new method of silicon deposition using the interaction between the radiation from a pulsed ultraviolet excimer laser and the plasma species produced in a glow discharge in silicane (SiH/sub 4/). Examination of the deposited film by laser Raman spectroscopy and by transmission electron microscopy revealed that the morphology ranged from polycrystalline silicon at laser fluences of 0.13 to 0.17 J/cm/sup 2/ to epitaxial silicon at fluences of 0.4 to 0.6 J/cm/sup 2/. Growth rates of 100 nm/min for polycrystalline silicon and 30 nm/min for monocrystalline silicon were achieved.