EX-SITU ELLIPSOMETRY CHARACTERIZATION OF EXCIMER-LASER ANNEALED AMORPHOUS-SILICON THIN-FILMS GROWN BY LOW-PRESSURE CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION

Spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to monitor excimer laser annealed thin (similar to 100 nm) amorphous silicon (a-Si) films grown on quart z substrates by low pressure chemical Vapor deposition (LPCVD). The pe ak position of the imaginary part of the complex dielectric function e psilon(2) was used to determine the degree of crystallization of the a -Si. The amplitude of epsilon(2) at the Si E-1 transition energy is fo und to be a good indicator of the polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) gr ain size after laser annealing with good correlation between ex situ e llipsometric data and poly-Si grain sizes being observed. Spectroscopi c ellipsometry provides a contactless, nondestructive, and simple tech nique for monitoring laser annealing both in situ during the annealing process or ex situ after annealing. (C) 1997 American Institute of Ph ysics.