Heat Transfer and Phase Transformations in Laser Annealing of Thin a-Si Films
Abstract The liquid-solid interface motion and the temperature history of thin Si films during excimer laser annealing are observed by in situ experiments combining time-resolved (∼lns) thermal emission measurements, optical reflectance and transmittance at near-IR wavelengths and electrical conductance measurements. The spontaneous nucleation temperature in the supercooled liquid melt is studied from the thermal emission measurement A new double laser recrystallization technique using a temporally modulated CW Ar+ laser in conjunction with a superposed nanosecond laser pulse produces lateral grain growth at the irradiated spot. The laser melting process is numerically simulated. High-resolution laser flash photography enabled in-situ direct visualization of the resolidification process. The images reveal lateral solidification velocity of about 10 m/s.