Fast-Pulse Excimer-Laser-Induced Processes in a-Si:H

Abstract

AbstractThe effects of fast-pulse excimer laser annealing of a-Si:H were investigated by measurements of electronic transport properties and impurity concentration depth profiles as a function of incident laser energy density. The dc dark conductivity of laser-annealed, highly-doped a-Si:H increases by a factor of ∼350 above a sharp laser energy density threshold whose magnitude increases with decreasing impurity concentration and which correlates with the onset of hydrogen evolution from and crystallization of the near-surface layer. The similarities between the preparation and properties of laser-crystallized a-Si:H and pc-Si:H are discussed.