Enlargement of ''location controlled'' Si grains by dual-beam excimer-laser with bump structures

The effect of thickness variation of an intermediate insulator layer on the grain size of a recrystallized large Si grain in an a-Si/SiO2/metal stack with an array of bumps in the oxide has been investigated. Increased thickn ess of the intermediate oxide portion and bump height resulted in grain siz e enlargement of the Si grain. Si crystal grains as large as 5.1 mu m were obtained located exactly at the desired position on the oxide. The explanat ion of the growth-enhanced mechanism by the solidification rate behavior, b ased on numerical simulation in terms of temperature gradient arguments is given. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.