Deposition Mechanisms of SiO2 in Remote Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition Analyzed by Spatially Resolved Mass Spectroscopy

Abstract
The decomposition of silane ( SiH4) with activated neutral oxygen is investigated by spatially resolved quadrupole mass spectroscopy (QMS). SiH4 molecules were found to be decomposed in the vapor phase by collisions with activated neutral oxygen. Generation of hydroxyls (OH, H2O) is discussed in relation to the chemical reactions in the vapor phase and on the substrate surface. The analysis of activation energy in the evolution of hydroxyls from growing surfaces infers that Si–O bonds form on substrate surfaces releasing OH and H2O into the vapor.