Abstract
The thermal process of amorphous silicon thin film crystallization when combined with an aluminum (Al) film using a continuous wave (CW) laser is accompanied by additional interactions induced by the aluminum layer. This technique is frequently employed to optimize the crystallization process and enhance the quality of crystalline silicon by combining the thermodynamic effects of laser annealing with metal-induced crystallization (MIC). Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films were deposited using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process on Corning glass substrates. An aluminum overcoat was deposited on the films. The specimens were irradiated with a continuous wave (CW) argon-ion (Ar +) laser beam of varying power density and duration. The samples were then annealed at 250 °C for 15 min to convert the amorphous silicon into polysilicon film. The grain size of the polycrystalline silicon films varies by varying the laser power density and the exposure time. The polysilicon grains acquired diameters ranging from 0.4 to 1.25 µm when the laser power density was set between 74.7 W/cm2 and 94.3 W/cm2. The grains with a size ranging between 1 and 2.5 µm showed plate-like and dendritic-like configurations when laser power densities changed between 31.4 and 74.7 W/cm2. The X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) analysis revealed polycrystalline silicon with expected relative strengths.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Data Availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [AS], upon reasonable request.
References
Park M et al (2020) Comprehensive analysis of blue diode laser-annealing of amorphous silicon films. Thin Solid Films 696:137779
Çınar K, Yesil C, Bek A (2019) Revealing laser crystallization mechanism of silicon thin films via pulsed IR lasers. J Phys Chem C 124(1):976–985
Do Y et al (2020) Remarkable improvement in foldability of poly-Si thin-film transistor on polyimide substrate using blue laser crystallization of amorphous Si and comparison with conventional poly-Si thin-film transistor used for foldable displays. Adv Eng Mater 22(5):1901430
Zhang B et al (2007) Polysilicon thin film-transistors with uniform and reliable performance using solution-based metal-induced crystallization. IEEE Trans Electron Devices 54(5):1244–1248
Lee S et al (2015) Localized tail states and electron mobility in amorphous ZnON thin film transistors. Sci Rep 5(1):1–9
Lai M-H, Wu YCS, Chang C-P (2011) Electrical performance and thermal stability of MIC poly-Si TFTs improved using drive-in nickel induced crystallization. Mater Chem Phys 126(1–2):69–72
Cattin J et al (2021) Influence of light soaking on silicon heterojunction solar cells with various architectures. IEEE J Photovolt 11(3):575–583
Li S et al (2019) In situ-doped silicon thin films for passivating contacts by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition with a high deposition rate of 42 nm/min. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 11(33):30493–30499
He R et al (2016) High pressure chemical vapor deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon films and solar cells. Adv Mater 28(28):5939–5942
Moreno M et al (2021) Comparative study on the quality of microcrystalline and epitaxial silicon films produced by pecvd using identical sif4 based process conditions. Materials 14(22):6947
Sridhar N et al (1996) Effect of deposition temperature on the structural and electrical properties of laser-crystallized hydrogenated amorphous silicon films. J Appl Phys 79(3):1569–1577
Chen J et al (2017) Control of grain size and crystallinity of poly-Si films on quartz by Al-induced crystallization. CrystEngComm 19(17):2305–2311
Mohiddon M et al (2011) Growth, optical, and electrical properties of silicon films produced by the metal-induced crystallization process. J Nanopart Res 13(11):5999–6004
Wu M et al (1999) High electron mobility polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors on steel foil substrates. Appl Phys Lett 75(15):2244–2246
Jang J et al (1998) Electric-field-enhanced crystallization of amorphous silicon. Nature 395(6701):481–483
Chan K-Y et al (2008) High-mobility microcrystalline silicon thin-film transistors prepared near the transition to amorphous growth. J Appl Phys 104(5):054506
Maity G et al (2019) Aluminum induced crystallization of amorphous Si: Thermal annealing and ion irradiation process. J Non-Cryst Solids 523:119628
Hamasha E et al (2016) Aluminum induced crystallization of amorphous silicon thin films with assistance of electric field for solar photovoltaic applications. Sol Energy 127:223–231
Pécz B et al (2021) Structural Characteristics of the Si Whiskers Grown by Ni-Metal-Induced-Lateral-Crystallization. Nanomaterials 11(8):1878
Hara A et al (2004) High performance low temperature polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors on non-alkaline glass produced using diode pumped solid state continuous wave laser lateral crystallization. Jpn J Appl Phys 43(4R):1269
Andrä G et al (2013) Multicrystalline silicon thin film solar cells based on a two-step liquid phase laser crystallization process. 2013 IEEE 39th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), Tampa, FL, USA, pp 1330–1333. https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2013.6744388
Said-Bacar Z et al (2012) CW laser induced crystallization of thin amorphous silicon films deposited by EBE and PECVD. Appl Surf Sci 258(23):9359–9365
Jin S et al (2016) Lateral grain growth of amorphous silicon films with wide thickness range by blue laser annealing and application to high performance poly-Si TFTs. IEEE Electron Device Lett 37(3):291–294
Jia G et al (2014) Nanotechnology enhanced solar cells prepared on laser-crystallized polycrystalline thin films (< 10 µm). Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 126:62–67
Lee Y-J et al (2013) Structural characterization of wavelength-dependent Raman scattering and laser-induced crystallization of silicon thin films. Thin Solid Films 542:388–392
Al-Nuaimy E, Marshall J (1996) Excimer laser crystallization and doping of source and drain regions in high quality amorphous silicon thin film transistors. Appl Phys Lett 69(25):3857–3859
Farid N et al (2021) Femtosecond laser-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon thin films under a thin molybdenum layer. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 13(31):37797–37808
Chowdhury S et al (2020) Crystallization of Amorphous Silicon via Excimer Laser Annealing and Evaluation of Its Passivation Properties. Energies 13(13):3335
Volkovoynova L et al (2022) Heat transfer estimation during laser-assisted metal-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon films. Proceedings of 8th International Congress on Energy Fluxes and Radiation Effects (EFRE–2022) Tomsk, Russia. https://doi.org/10.56761/EFRE2022.C3-P-005701
Shariah A, Bataineh MI (2023) Electrical and Structural Properties of Crystallized Amorphous Silicon Thin Films. Silicon 15(6):2727–2735
Nast O, Hartmann AJ (2000) Influence of interface and Al structure on layer exchange during aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon. J Appl Phys 88(2):716–724
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Prof. Hameed Naseem of Arkansas University's electrical engineering department for sample preparation and Prof. Surendra Singh of the Physics department for enabling me to utilize his laser facility.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
AS carried out the experimental work, AS put shape for the research, AS analyzed and interpreted the results, AS prepared the figures, AS wrote the final version and reviewed the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics Approval
Not applicable.
Consent to Participate
Not applicable.
Consent for Publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
The author did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Shariah, A. Crystallization of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Thin Films Using Combined Continuous Wave Laser and Thermal Annealing. Silicon 16, 4461–4470 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-024-03003-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-024-03003-x