Method for producing an amorphous silicon semiconductor device using a multichamber PECVD apparatus

In a method of producing an amorphous silicon semiconductor device having the steps of:

• preparing a capacitance-coupled high-frequency glow-discharge semiconductor production apparatus which is equipped with a plurality of glow-discharge chambers each having a high-frequency electrode and a substrate holder opposing each other and means for supplying material gases to said glow-discharge chambers;
• effecting, in a first one of said glow-discharge chambers, a plasma reaction of a material gas so as to deposit, on a substrate introduced into the first glow-discharge chamber, an amorphous silicon layer having a first conductivity type;
• and
• effecting, after moving said substrate into a second one of said glow-discharge chambers, a plasma reaction of a material gas different from said material gas used in the first glow-discharge chamber, thereby forming an amorphous silicon layer or an amorphous layer consisting mainly of silicon having a second conductivity type on said layer of said first conductivity type;
• the improvement comprising:
• that said substrate with said amorphous silicon layer of said first conductivity formed thereon is moved from said first glow-discharge chamber to said second glow-discharge chamber after the gas atmosphere of the same kind and pressure as in said first glow-discharge chamber is established in said second glow-discharge chamber;
• that the distance between said electrode and said substrate holder is made smaller in one of said first and second glow-discharge chambers which is designed for forming the thicker one of said layers of said first and second conductivity types than in the other of said first and second glow-discharge chambers;
• and
• that the temperature of said substrate is set higher in one of said first and second glow-discharge chambers which is designed for forming the thicker one of said layers of said first and second conductivity types than in the other of said first and second glow-discharge chambers.

In a method of producing an amorphous silicon semiconductor device having the steps of:

• preparing a capacitance-coupled high-frequency glow-discharge semiconductor production apparatus which is equipped with a plurality of glow-discharge chambers each having a high-frequency electrode and a substrate holder opposing each other and means for supplying material gases to said glow-discharge chambers;
• effecting, in a first one of said glow-discharge chambers, a reaction of a material gas so as to form, on a substrate introduced into the first glow-discharge chamber, a semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type, and
• effecting, after moving said substrate into a second one of said glow-discharge chambers, a reaction of a material gas different from said material gas used in the first glow-discharge chamber, thereby forming a semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type on said semiconductor layer of said first conductivity type;
• the improvement comprising:
• that said substrate with said semiconductor layer of said first conductivity formed thereon is moved from said first glow-discharge chamber to said second glow-discharge chamber after a predetermined gas atmosphere is formed in said first glow-discharge chamber;
• that the distance between said electrode and said substrate holder is made smaller in one of said first and second glow-discharge chambers which is designed for forming the thicker one of said semiconductor layers of said first and second conductivity types than in the other of said first and second glow-discharge chambers;
• and
• that the temperature of said substrate is set higher in one of said first and second glow-discharge chambers which is designed for forming the thicker one of said semiconductor layer of said first and second conductivity types than in the other of said first and second glow-discharge chambers.