Laser studies of the reactivity of SiH with the surface of a depositing film

Abstract

A new method for studying the interaction of radicals with the surface of a depositing film is presented. This method combines spatially resolved laser spectroscopy with molecular beam techniques and is demonstrated by measuring the state-resolved reactivity of SiH molecules with the surface of a depositing amorphous hydrogenated silicon film. SiH molecules from a silane glow discharge react at the surface with greater than 0.94 probability. The spatial distribution of the desorbing SiH is consistent with a cosine angular distribution. No dependence of reactivity on rotational state of the SiH was observed.