CONTROLLED SUPER-LATERAL GROWTH OF SI FILMS FOR MICROSTRUCTURAL MANIPULATION AND OPTIMIZATION

This paper reviews a particular form of pulsed-laser-based thin-film c rystallization method referred to as controlled super-lateral growth ( C-SLG). By systematically manipulating and controlling the locations, shapes, and extent of melting induced by the incident laser pulses, th e C-SLG approach - notably in a version referred to as sequential late ral solidification (SLS) - can lead to realization of a variety of mic rostructurally designed crystalline Si films with low structural defec t densities, including 1. large-grained and grain-boundary-location co ntrolled polycrystalline films, 2. directionally solidified microstruc tures, or 3. location-controlled single-crystal regions.