Texture development and grain boundary faceting in an excimer laser-crystallized silicon thin film

A 50-nm-thick amorphous silicon film on a SiO2 substrate is crystallized by an excimer laser-induced sequential lateral solidification. In the crystallized film, the laser scanning direction has a tendency to generate the < 100 > texture formation, whereas the surface normal and another in-plane orientation (normal to the scanning direction), designated as rolling direction, do not reveal any distinct texture development. Some grain boundaries are faceted, suggesting having a low trap density. Thus, the presence of the faceted grain boundaries is favorable for polycrystalline silicon electronic devices, such as thin film transistors and solar cells. A further grain boundary faceting might be induced by annealing processes. (c) 2006 American Vacuum Society.