Conversion Dynamics of Small Silane Impurities in a Glow Discharge in Helium at Low Pressure

Abstract: The paper presents the results of numerical calculations to study the dynamics of the conversion of small impurities of silane SiH₄ in buffer helium in a glow discharge at low pressures. It has been shown that the main products of silane conversion are atomic hydrogen, the SiH radical, and atomic silicon Si. An increase in the concentration of silane impurity leads to an increase in the concentrations of Si₂H₅ and Si₃H₈. The effect of plasma stratification in a short glow discharge (in negative glow) has been demonstrated and qualitatively described, when ion-ion plasma dominates in its central region, and electron-ion plasma dominates at the periphery near the cathode and anode layers.