(001)-Textured Laser-Crystallized Silicon thin Films on Glass Substrates

Abstract

AbstractWe investigate the microstructure of polycrystalline silicon films (grain size, texture and grain boundary population) on glass substrates. These films are produced from amorphous silicon precursor layers by scanning the raw beam of a continuous wave Ar+- ion laser operated at a wavelength of 514 nm over the amorphous silicon thereby crystallizing it. The materials applicability for devices in large area electronics strongly depends on the orientation of the surface normal, the average grain size and the defect density and population. Transmission electron microscopy together with electron back-scattering diffraction analysis of the crystallized layers reveal grain widths of about 10μm and grain lengths of several 10 μm. Under certain procesing conditions a preferred (001)-surface normal orientation (texture) forms. The grain boundary population is dominated in the textured films by coincidence boundaries, essentially twin boundaries of first and second order as well as Σ=5 boundaries.