Effect of aluminum layer thickness on crystallization process of aluminum induced amorphous silicon films

Based on aluminum-induced solid-phase crystallization of amorphous silicon thin film method, the period structure of Al/SiAl/Si/glass films were prepared by DC magnetron sputter ion plating technique. The Al/Si multilayer films were annealed at 500°C in vacuum annealing furnace and cross-section phtotopography of the films before and after annealing were analyzed by TEM, and the essential influence of aluminum layer thickness on crystallization process of aluminum induced amorphous silicon films was discussed combine with diffusion process. The results show that: Al, Si atoms take inter-diffusion movement along the Al/Si interface layer and the global zone reached the critical concentration Cs in Si layer likes a line parallel to the Al/Si interface and gradually increases to the aluminum atoms in the direction of promoting the diffusion distance during the AIC process by annealing. The critical concentration of Cs in the region as a whole moved forward faster and the number of initial silicon nucleation is larger with increasing the thickness of Al layer. Although the results of aluminum-induced crystallization of silicon films are all polycrystalline, the number of growing crystal planes is increased and the size of silicon grains is reduced simultaneity.