Abstract
The precursors of a-Si:H films in electron cyclotron resonance plasma chemical vapor deposition have been investigated by analyzing the deposition profile on a trench. The profile of the film prepared from radicals produced in the gas phase by electron collision with SiH4 is simulated by a Monte Carlo method using a sticking probability of 0.8 for Si, SiH and SiH2 radicals and of 0.1 for SiH3 radicals. A comparison between the experimental result and the simulation has shown that the ratio of the total flux of SiHx (x=0-2) to the flux of SiH3 in the radicals reaching the surface is 0.82 at 3 mTorr. The flux of radicals which maintain the momentum of SiH4 emitted from a nozzle is also compared with that of radicals with a random direction of momentum.