Atomic structure of ion-implantation produced amorphous silicon and amorphous-crystalline interface structure and kinetics
The structure of amorphous silicon determines its physical properties ranging from crystallization kinetics to efficiency of solar cells. One point of particular interest has been the existance of microcrystallites in the amorphous phase. Different crystallization kinetics are obtained for purely amorphous silicon and for amorphous silicon having a trace of crystallinity. The incorporation of dopants into substitutional sites after solid-phase crystallization has been also found to be affected by the degree of amorphousness.The purpose of this investigation was two fold: first, to characterize the structure of amorphous silicon, and second to study the structure of amorphous-crystalline interface. The importance of these two factors in the crystallization phenomena is discussed.