Numerical simulation of primary cluster formation in silane plasmas

The usage of low-cost silicon-based solar cells is limited by their tendency to degrade on prolonged exposure to sunlight. Current research has indicated that the inclusion of nano-particles in the plasma-deposited film enhances its efficiency considerably. It is therefore essential to identify the plasma operating conditions such that nano-particles are formed and deposited in the film. The early stages of cluster formation, nucleation and coagulation are still open to experimental and theoretical investigation. In this paper, a simulation of the first stage of particle formation in capacitively coupled radio-frequency discharges in SiH4 is attempted. A molecular dynamics based model has been set up to simulate one of the principal reaction pathways in cluster formation. This simulation model appears to produce valid and meaningful trends. Further studies are planned to explore the effect of other parameters and alternate pathways.