Abstract
Pulsed laser interference crystallization is applied to produce conductive boron-doped microcrystalline-silicon films. Three interfering beams of a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG-laser (λ = 532 nm) form two-dimensional interference patterns which generate periodic arrays of crystallized nucleation centers (seeds) in amorphous Si films. The distance between neighboring seeds has been varied between 0.5 and 10 μm to investigate the laser stimulated seeded lateral growth of the crystallites. The crystallization is stimulated either by illumination of the layer with a single laser pulse of high intensity or by a series of interfering laser pulses with increasing intensities. Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction are applied to investigate the structural properties of the crystallized layers. Grains about 10 times larger than for unseeded laser crystallization are obtained. This correlates with improved electronic properties such as conductivities to 2000 S/cm and mobilities ≥ 10 cm2/Vs.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 916-920 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids |
Volume | 227-230 |
Issue number | PART 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 1998 |
Keywords
- Crystallization
- Crystallized layers
- Electronic properties
- Interference patterns
- Interfering laser pulses