An evaluation of metal and semiconductor films formed by ionized-cluster beam deposition

The mechanism of film formation and the properties of films deposited by the ionized-cluster beam technique were investigated. In this technique, strong adhesion of the film to the substrate and good crystalline deposition are expected.A high adhesive strength of over 100 kg cm^-2 for Cu films on glass substrates was obtained in the experiments. The migration of adatoms consisting of ionized and neutral clusters was observed on the substrte surface. This effect, called the migration effect, can be considered to characterize film formation by cluster beam deposition and to produce good crystalline films. Si single crystals were obtained on Si substrates. A p-n junction photodiode was fabricated by the deposition of n-type Si on a p-type substrate. The diode shows improved spectral sensitivity in the UV region compared with that of commercially available solar cells.