Large grained polycrystalline silicon films by solid phase crystallization of phosphorus-doped amorphous silicon

For the first time, polycrystalline Si films with a grain diameter exceeding 10 mu m are prepared by solid phase crystallization of phosphorus-doped, amorphous Si films on glass. Low pressure chemical vapour deposition from Si2H6/PH3 serves to form amorphous Si films on glass substrates which are then subsequently solid phase crystallized at a temperature of 600 degrees C. Transmission electron microscopy shows a log-normal grain size distribution in the crystallized films. The average grain size increases with the phosphorus concentration in the films and reaches 3.1 mu m at an electron concentration of 1.5 x 10(20) cm(-3). The area weighted average grain size is 5.9 mu m. Hall effect measurements yield an electron mobility of about 50 cm(2)/(Vs) for electron concentrations above 10(19) cm(-3).