Poly-Si Thin Film Formation Using a Novel Low Thermal Budget Process

Abstract

ABSTRACTPolycrystalline silicon thin films were formed from the amorphous silicon thin film by the pulsed rapid thermal annealing process enhanced with a thin nickel seed layer through the vertical crystallization mechanism. In this paper, authors presented the results on the material properties of the crystallized film. The dopant and film thickness effects were also investigated. It has been demonstrated that a 2 μm thick amorphous silicon n+-i-p+ diode structure could be transformed into polycrystalline stack with a 4-pulse 1 sec 850°C heating and 5 sec cooling cycle process.