Super-lateral-growth regime analysis in long-pulse-duration excimer-laser crystallization of a-Si films on SiO2

In this work, the excimer-laser-induced crystallization of a-Si films on Si O2 was investigated using a long-pulse-duration (200 ns) XeCl source. The m icrostructural analysis of the laser-irradiated area, for incident energy d ensities comprised between the thresholds corresponding to the surface and full melting, respectively, of the Si layer, was performed by scanning elec tron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. A super-lateral-growth regime was e videnced quite comparable to that which occurs when classical excimer laser pulses of short duration (approximate to 20 ns) are used. A numerical simu lation of the surface melt dynamics was also performed and compared to the experimental observations.