Processing and Properties of Cw Laser-Recrystallized Silicon Films on Amorphous Substrates

Abstract

ABSTRACTCW laser recrystallization has been used to process silicon thin films as an integral step in semiconductor device fabrication. On continuous films of polycrystalline silicon, a silicon-nitride encapsulant is used to control surface morphology during laser recrystallization. For thin films on bulk glass substrates it is necessary to pattern the silicon layer in order to minimize microcracking as well as to control recrystallization. Over single crystal silicon substrates, test devices have been fabricated in silicon islands on dual-dielectric layers. Materials and device evaluation included TEM, current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and EBIC measurements, and the test devices consisted of p-n junction diodes, MOS capacitors, and MOS field-effect transistors.