LOW-TEMPERATURE SOLID-PHASE CRYSTALLIZATION OF AMORPHOUS-SILICON AT 380-DEGREES-C

Amorphous silicon (a-Si) was crystallized by metal induced crystalliza tion (MIC) in an electric field. A 2 nm Ni layer on a-Si was used for the crystallization. The MIC temperature can be reduced to 380 degrees C in an electric field of 360 V/cm. The Ni-MIC poly-Si has a crystall ine volume fraction of 92% with an average grain size of similar to 15 0 nm. The fact that the crystallization temperature can be reduced app ears to be due to the enhancement of NiSi2 migration through a-Si in a n electric field. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979( 98)00223-0].