Surface-diffusion-controlled incorporation of nanosized voids during hydrogenated amorphous silicon film growth

Abstract

The incorporation of nanosized voids during hydrogenated amorphous silicon film growth is studied by measurements of the film mass density and the hydrogen present at the void surfaces. The observed dependence of the density of nanosized voids on the growth flux and substrate temperature is explained in terms of a surface-diffusion-controlled void incorporation model. From this analysis, an activation energy for surface diffusion in the range of 0.77-1.05 eV has been found, a value which is in agreement with the activation energy obtained from the analysis of the surface roughness evolution during growth in a previous study. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.