Deposition pressure effect on the surface roughness scaling of microcrystalline silicon films

The scaling behaviour of surface roughness evolution of microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) films prepared by very-high frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (VHF-PECVD) has been investigated by using a spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) technique. The growth exponent β was analysed for the films deposited under different pressures P_g. The results suggest that films deposited at P_g = 70 Pa have a growth exponent β about 0.22, which corresponds to the definite diffusion growth. However, abnormal scaling behaviour occurs in the films deposited at P_g = 300 Pa. The exponent β is about 0.81 that is much larger than 0.5 of zero diffusion limit in the scaling theory. The growth mode of μ c-Si:H deposited at P_g= 300 Pa is clearly different from that of μc-Si:H at P_g = 70 Pa. Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the sticking process and the surface diffusion of the radicals are two key factors to affect the growth mode under different pressures. Under P_g= 300 Pa, β>0.5 is correlated with the strong shadowing effect resulting from the larger sticking coefficient.