| 摘要 |
<p><P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To readily optimize conditions where a microcrystalline silicon film (one type of silicon film containing crystals) is formed, and to provide a microcrystalline silicon film that has a sufficient crystal grain size and reduced structural defects and can provide a balance at a high level between an improvement in the characteristics of a semiconductor device or convention efficiency of a photovoltaic device and suppression of optical degradation. <P>SOLUTION: A method for forming a semiconductor device including a semiconductor layer formed of a silicon-based deposited film containing crystals by plasma-enhanced CVD, includes the steps of applying a bias voltage between a high-frequency electrode and a substrate with the high-frequency electrode being negative when the semiconductor layer is formed; detecting sparks occurring on the high-frequency electrode or the substrate; and controlling at least one condition selected from the group consisting of high-frequency power, bias voltage, bias current, pressure, gas glow rate, and interelectrode distance, on the basis of the results of the detection so that the occurrence number of sparks with durations of 100 msec or more is 1 or less sparks per minute. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT</p> |
