A Novel Double-Pulse Excimer-Laser Crystallization Method of Silicon Thin-Films

Abstract

We propose a novel double-pulse excimer-laser crystallization method, where two laser light pulses successively irradiate the surface of thin silicon (Si) films. The first light pulse supplies thermal energy near the Si/substrate interface, and this energy reduces the heat removal rate in the melt-regrowth phase triggered by the second light pulse, resulting in large-grain growth of the Si film. The average grain size was enlarged up to 0.8 µm, i.e., more than 10 times larger than that obtained by the conventional method. Solidification characteristics were also investigated numerically.