Rapid Activation of Phosphorous-Implanted Polycrystalline Si Thin Films on Glass Substrates Using Flash-Lamp Annealing

Intense visible light irradiation was applied to phosphorous-implanted polycrystalline Si thin films on glass substrates, which exhibited strong absorption features due to their amorphization by the application of a large implantation dose. Despite the short pulse duration of the visible light, the use of a high-powered and subsequently intensified Xe arc lamp allowed for significant electrical activation even at near-ambient temperatures and above, surpassing the efficacy of conventional thermal activation processes. Using a simple optical-thermal model, theoretical predictions indicate that the instantaneous temperatures of the phosphorous-implanted Si thin films reach approximately 680 degrees C under the irradiation of a short pulse of light with a half maximum of 400 mu sec, allowing for short-and long-range rearrangements of the implanted dopants and displaced Si atoms through diffusions enhanced through the high fraction of grain boundaries in the polycrystalline Si thin films. (C) 2014 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.