Solid Phase Crystallization (SPC) Behavior of Amorphous Si Bilayer Films with Different Concentration of Oxygen: Surface vs. Interface-nucleation

Abstract

ABSTRACTSolid-phase crystallization (SPC) behavior of a-Si film [a-Si(II)] in which oxygen concentration (CO) is higher at the a-Si/SiO2 interface (CO=5×1021/cm3) than at the film surface (CO=3×1020/cm3) has been investigated. The results were also compared with that of a-Si single layer [a- Si(I), 600 Å] with CO=3×1020/cm3. It has been found that the interface-nucleation was suppressed in the a-Si(II) and the surface-nucleation occurred to make a poly-Si/a-Si (300 Å/300Å) bilayer structure. Many equiaxial grains with sizes of 1∼2 [.proportional]m were formed in the surface- nucleated poly-Si layer. Compared with the results of conventional SPC poly-Si (600 Åthick) in which elliptical grains with sizes of 0.5∼1 [.proportional]m were formed by the interface (a-Si/SiO2)- nucleation, we concluded that the poly-Si/a-Si bilayer scheme is a method to improve the microstructure of SPC poly-Si film.