Influence of Laser Light on the Formation and Properties of Silicon Nanocrystals in a-Si/Sn Layered Structures

Abstract

The influence of the laser light intensity and the temperature on the tin-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon has been studied using the Raman screening and optical microscopy methods. The existence of non-thermal mechanisms giving rise to the influence of laser light on the formation of silicon nanocrystals and their Raman spectra is demonstrated experimentally. The photoionization of silicon and the electron-phonon interaction are considered as possible origins of the detected effects. The prospects of their application in new technologies for producing nano-silicon films used in solar cells are discussed.