Improving crystalline quality of polycrystalline silicon thin films crystallized on yttria-stabilized zirconia crystallization-induction layers by the two-step irradiation method of pulsed laser annealing

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics Vol. 54; no. 3S; pp. 3 - 1-03CA01-8
• Main Authors: Lien, Mai Thi Kieu, Horita, Susumu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Japan Society of Applied Physics 01.03.2015
• Subjects: Crystal structure; Crystallization; Density; Glass; Grain size; Irradiation; Silicon; Silicon films; Thin films; Yttria stabilized zirconia
• ISSN: 0021-4922; 1347-4065
• DOI: 10.7567/JJAP.54.03CA01

The crystalline quality of pulsed-laser-annealed micocrystalline silicon films on yttria-stabilized zirconia [(ZrO2)1−x(Y2O3)x: YSZ] crystallization-induction (CI) layers was further improved by a new two-step irradiation method, in which amorphous silicon (a-Si) films were irradiated using two energy densities. Firstly, they were irradiated at a low energy density for a short time to generate nuclei and then at a high energy density to complete crystallization. The crystalline fraction and grain size of the Si film crystallized by the two-step method were found to be larger, while its FWHM was found to be smaller than those of the Si films crystallized by a conventional method. Moreover, the grain size of Si/YSZ/glass was more uniform than that of Si/glass. This indicates not only the effectiveness of the YSZ CI layer but also the usefulness of the two-step method in improving the Si film quality.