Densification of amorphous silicon prepared by hydrogen-ion-beam-assisted evaporation

Abstract

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon films were deposited by ion-beam-assisted evaporation onto substrates maintained at 120°C. The influence of the substrate bias was studied. By combined infrared spectrometry and thermal desorption spectrometry experiments, it is inferred that the bombardment of the growing a-Si:H film by energetic hydrogen ions produces a densification of the material without modification of the Si:H bonding. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.