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Large-grain poly-crystalline silicon thin films prepared by aluminum-induced crystallization of sputter-deposited hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2006

Maruf Hossain ,
Harry M. Meyer III ,
Husam H. Abu-Safe ,
Hameed Naseem  and
W.D. Brown
Maruf Hossain*
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
Harry M. Meyer III
Affiliation:
Microscopy, Microanalysis, and Microstructures Group, Metals and Ceramics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
Husam H. Abu-Safe
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
Hameed Naseem
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
W.D. Brown
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: maruf72703@yahoo.com
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Abstract

A metal-induced crystallization (MIC) technique was used to produce large-grain poly-crystalline silicon. Two sets of samples were prepared by first sputtering Al onto glass substrates. For one set of samples, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) was sputtered on top of the Al without breaking the vacuum. For the second set, the samples were taken out of the vacuum chamber and exposed to the atmosphere to grow a very thin layer of native aluminum oxide before sputter depositing the a-Si:H. Both sets of samples were then annealed at temperatures between 400 and 525 °C for 40 min. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the crystallization of the samples. Scanning Auger microanalysis was used to confirm that the a-Si:H and Al layers exchanged positions in this structure during the crystallization process. Auger mapping revealed the formation of large grain poly-silicon (10–20 μm). A model is proposed to explain how the crystallization process progresses with anneal temperature.

Keywords

AmorphousGrain sizeSputtering
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 21 , Issue 3 , March 2006 , pp. 761 - 766
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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References

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