LARGE-AREA POLYCRYSTALLINE SILICON THIN-FILMS GROWN BY LASER-INDUCED NUCLEATION AND SOLID-PHASE CRYSTALLIZATION

Citation
D. Toet et al., LARGE-AREA POLYCRYSTALLINE SILICON THIN-FILMS GROWN BY LASER-INDUCED NUCLEATION AND SOLID-PHASE CRYSTALLIZATION, Thin solid films, 296(1-2), 1997, pp. 49-52
Citations number
14
Categorie Soggetti
Physics, Applied","Material Science","Physics, Condensed Matter
Journal title
ISSN journal
00406090
Volume
296
Issue
1-2
Year of publication
1997
Pages
49 - 52
Database
ISI
SICI code
0040-6090(1997)296:1-2<49:LPSTGB>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
We present investigations on a two-step technique for the growth of po lycrystalline silicon thin films on glass substrates. In the first ste p, a lattice of artificial seeds is created by laser crystallization o f amorphous silicon. In the second step, crystallites are grown around the seed by thermal annealing below 600 degrees C. For seed separatio ns of 7 mu m, adjacent crystallites can coalesce before spontaneous nu cleation becomes apparent. Transmission electron microscopy reveals th at the crystallites are star shaped, consisting of domains separated b y twin boundaries. Microscopic reflection difference spectroscopy meas urements reveal the existence of a radial stress pattern around the se eds. We conjecture that this stress drives the lateral growth around t he seeds during thermal annealing.