Gas flow activated in an electron-beam plasma

Probe measurements of electron temperature and density, electron energy distribution functions, and plasma potential in a free gas jet activated in an electron-beam plasma and in a planar reactor are presented. The measurements are performed by single, double, and triple electrostatic probes in jets of helium-argon and helium-argon-monosilane gas mixtures. The latter mixture is used to deposit films of microcrystalline and epitaxial silicon. Microcrystalline silicon films of higher quality are obtained in a dense ($n_e\approx10^{17}$ m$^{-3}$) and cold ($T_e\approx 1.0-0.5$ eV) plasma with a low potential ($U_{sp}\approx10$ V), whereas the growth of monocrystalline silicon films requires a hotter plasma ($T_e\approx3-5$ eV) with a potential $U_{sp}\approx15$ V.