Compositional and mechanical properties of PECVD silicon for thin-film optical applications

In this paper we present Inductively coupled plasma chemical vapour deposition(ICPECVD) of amorphous Silicon (a-Si:H) thin films. By tuning the ICP power, RF power and pressure tensile and conformal a-Si:H films can be obtained. Such films are of great importance for the MEMS application. We also show that the optical absorption due to Si:H and Si-H2 bond in the a-Si:H can be reduced by annealing the film at low temperature (500°C)by removing the hydrogen. The rapid and low temperature annealing ensures smooth a-Si:H films for the NIR applications in optical MEMS.