In this work we present a detailed structural characterization by Raman spectroscopy of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and of nanostructured silicon (ns-Si:H) thin films grown in radio-frequency plasma. The ns-Si:H thin films, also called polymorphous Si thin films, consist of a two-phase mixture of amorphous and ordered Si. The Raman spectra were measured at increasing laser intensities. Very low laser power densities (∼1 kW/cm2) were used to thoroughly analyze the structure of as-deposited thin films. Higher Raman laser powers were found to induce the crystallization of the films, which was characterized by the appearance of a sharp peak around 500 cm−1. This was attained faster in the ns-Si:H than in the conventional a-Si:H thin films because the silicon-ordered particles cause a heterogeneous nucleation process in which they act as seeds for crystallization. The laser power densities for film crystallization, crystal size, and surface temperature were determined from this Raman analysis. The validity and application ranges of the different models that can be used to calculate these parameters are critically discussed.

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A method for the detection of dust particles occurring in silane–argon gas mixture plasmas is presented. It is based on the spectral analysis of the radio-frequency current. The amplitudes of the fundamental (13.56 MHz) and second harmonics (40.68 MHz) are very sensitive to the presence of the earlier nanoparticles when their size is in the range of 2–3 nm even if their influence on the capacitive character of the impedance is negligible. This method is nonperturbative, with a temporal resolution in the microsecond range, very easy to implement, and can thus be used for industrial reactors.

To determine self-consistently the time evolution of particle size and their number density in situ multi-angle polarization-sensitive laser light scattering was used. Cross-polarization intensities ͑incident and scattered light intensities with opposite polarization͒ measured at 135°and ex situ transmission electronic microscopy analysis demonstrate the existence of nonspherical agglomerates during the early phase of agglomeration. Later in the particle time development both techniques reveal spherical particles again. The presence of strong cross-polarization intensities is accompanied by low-frequency instabilities detected on the scattered light intensities and plasma emission. It is found that the particle radius and particle number density during the agglomeration phase can be well described by the Brownian free molecule coagulation model. Application of this neutral particle coagulation model is justified by calculation of the particle charge whereby it is shown that particles of a few tens of nanometer can be considered as neutral under our experimental conditions. The measured particle dispersion can be well described by a Brownian free molecule coagulation model including a log-normal particle size distribution.