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Growth processes of clusters in low-pressure and low-power silane radio frequency discharges are studied by using the newly developed double-pulse-discharge method which realizes in situ measurement of their size and density in a size range of 0.5–4 nm. The clusters begin to be composed of two size groups at about 10 ms after the discharge initiation: clusters in the small size group have an almost constant average size of about 0.5 nm through the discharge period, while those in the large one grow at about 4 nm/s in a monodisperse way. Time evolution of the measured average sizes and densities in the groups is transformed into that of size distributions assuming that the density of SinHx clusters for the small group decreases exponentially with the increase in the number of Si atoms, n, of them, and the size distribution for the large group is the lognormal one. The results show that a critical cluster size for nucleation is SinHx (n∼4).

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The autopsy findings of a multiple system atrophy (MSA) patient with remarkable frontal lobe atrophy are described. The patient was a 65-year-old woman with a 13-year history of untreatable parkinsonism, dysautonomia and progressive motor aphasia. The brain weight was 810 g, and there was remarkable atrophy of the cerebrum predominantly in the frontal lobe, striatum, pons and cerebellum. Microscopic examination revealed a preserved cortical structure with laminar gliosis in the sixth layer of the precentral and superior frontal gyri of the frontal lobe, and postcentral gyrus and inferior parietal lobule of the parietal lobe. The second layer of the cortices of these regions were also revealed to be in a spongy state, and mild cell loss was seen in the fifth and six layers. The frontal lobe white matter showed a mild loss of myelinated fibers and axons, and mild gliosis. Glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) were abundantly observed in the deep layer of the cortex in the regions mentioned above, and were more abundant in the white matter of the frontal and parietal lobes, callosal body, and internal, external and extreme capsules. There was severe degeneration in the olivopontocerebellar and striatonigral systems, and GCIs in widespread regions of the brain. No Pick bodies, Lewy bodies, ballooned neurons, senile plaques, or significant amounts of neurofibrillary tangles were detected. There were no vascular changes. Thus, this was a verified MSA patient with progressive aphasia and remarkable frontal lobe atrophy. We indicate a possible involvement of the cerebral lobes in MSA.

Growth processes of particles in a cluster-size range below a few nm in size in low pressure and low power SiH4 rf discharges are studied using the new method, in which the threshold photoemission method is coupled with the microwave interferometry, for measurements of their size and density. The density of particles is above 1010 cm−3 and much exceeds that of positive ions, the result of which shows that most of them are neutral. The particles grow mainly around the plasma/sheath boundary near the powered electrode and their size growth rate is 3.4–4.4 nm/s, being much higher than a film growth rate of 0.064–0.12 nm/s. These features strongly indicate that their growth is due to deposition of polymerized species, originated from short lifetime SiH2 radicals, on them, while coagulation between particles becomes appreciable after a time when their density reaches about 1011 cm−3. Moreover, the pulse modulation of rf discharge is found to be effective in reducing the density of cluster-size particles. The reduction can be explained by a model taking account of diffusion of the polymerized species through the radical production region, where the particles nucleate and grow.