Considerations for Large Area Fabrication Of Integrated a-Si and Poly-Si TFTs

1994 ◽  
Vol 345 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Mei ◽  
G. B. Anderson ◽  
J. B. Boyce ◽  
D. K. Fork ◽  
M. Hack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Energy Density ◽  
Laser Energy ◽  
Gate Insulator ◽  
Laser Energy Density ◽  
Laser Crystallization ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Low Leakage ◽  
Threshold Voltages ◽  
Excellent Method

AbstractThe combination of a-Si low leakage pixel TFTs with poly-Si TFTs in peripheral circuits provides an excellent method for reducing the number of external connections to large-area imaging arrays and displays. To integrate the fabrication of the peripheral poly-Si TFTs with the a-Si pixel TFTs, we have developed a threestep laser process which enables selective crystallization of PECVD a-Si:H. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy show that the polycrystalline grains formed with this three-step process are similar to those crystallized by a conventional one step laser crystallization of unhydrogenated amorphous silicon. The grain size increases with increasing laser energy density up to a peak value of a few microns. The grain size decreases with further increases in laser energy density. The transistor field effect mobility is correlated with the grain size, increasing gradually with laser energy density until reaching its maximum value. Thereafter, the transistors suffer from leakage through the gate insulators. A dual dielectric gate insulator has been developed for these bottom-gate thin film transistors to provide the correct threshold voltages for both a-Si and poly-Si TFTs.

Considerations for Large Area Fabrication of Integrated a-Si and Poly-Si TFTs

1994 ◽  
Vol 336 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Mei ◽  
G. B. Anderson ◽  
J. B. Boyce ◽  
D. K. Fork ◽  
M. Hack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Energy Density ◽  
Laser Energy ◽  
Gate Insulator ◽  
Laser Energy Density ◽  
Laser Crystallization ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Low Leakage ◽  
Threshold Voltages ◽  
Excellent Method

ABSTRACTThe combination of a-Si low leakage pixel TFTs with poly-Si TFTs in peripheral circuits provides an excellent method for reducing the number of external connections to large-area imaging arrays and displays. To integrate the fabrication of the peripheral poly-Si TFTs with the a-Si pixel TFTs, we have developed a three-step laser process which enables selective crystallization of PECVD a-Si:H. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy show that the polycrystalline grains formed with this three-step process are similar to those crystallized by a conventional one step laser crystallization of unhydrogenated amorphous silicon. The grain size increases with increasing laser energy density up to a peak value of a few Microns. The grain size decreases with further increases in laser energy density. The transistor field effect mobility is correlated with the grain size, increasing gradually with laser energy density until reaching its maximum value. Thereafter, the transistors suffer from leakage through the gate insulators. A dual dielectric gate insulator has been developed for these bottom-gate thin film transistors to provide the correct threshold voltages for both a-Si and poly-Si TFTs.

Excimer Lasbr Induced Crystallization of thin Amorphous Si Films on SiO2: Implications of Crystallized Microstructures for Phase Transformation Mechanisms

1992 ◽  
Vol 283 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. J. Kim ◽  
James S. Im ◽  
Michael O. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Energy Density ◽  
Laser Energy ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Laser Energy Density ◽  
Single Shot ◽  
Average Grain Size ◽  
Si Films ◽  
Density Regime

ABSTRACTUsing planar view transmission electron microscope (TEM) and transient reflectance (TR) analyses, we have investigated the excimer laser crystallization of amorphous silicon (a-Si) films on SiO2. Emphasis was placed on characterizing the microstructures of the single-shot irradiated materials, as a function of the energy density of the laser pulse and the temperature of the substrate. The dependence of the grain size and melt duration as a function of energy density revealed two major crystallization regimes. In the low energy density regime, the average grain size first increases gradually with increases in the laser energy density. In the high energy density regime, on the other hand, a very fine grained microstructure, which is relatively insensitive to variations in the laser energy density, is obtained. In addition, we have discovered that at the transition between these two regimes an extremely small experimental window exists, within which an exceedingly large grain-sized polycrystalline film is obtained. We suggest a liquid phase growth model for this phenomenon, which is based on the regrowth of crystals from the residual solid islands at the oxide interface.

Excimer Laser Crystallized Amorphous Silicon Films: Effects of Shot Density and Substrate Temperature

1991 ◽  
Vol 219 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. I. Johnson ◽  
G. B. Anderson ◽  
S. E. Ready ◽  
J. B. Boyce
Keyword(s):  
Energy Density ◽  
Substrate Temperature ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Laser Energy ◽  
Silicon Films ◽  
Laser Energy Density ◽  
Laser Crystallization ◽  
Average Grain Size ◽  
Substrate Temperatures

ABSTRACTLaser crystallization of a-Si thin films has been shown to produce materials with enhanced electrical properties and devices that are faster and capable of carrying higher currents. The quality of these polycrystalline films depends on a number of parameters such as laser energy density, shot density, substrate temperature, and the quality of the starting material. We find that the average grain size and transport properties of laser crystallized amorphous silicon films increase substantially with laser energy density, increase only slightly with laser shot density, and are unaffected by substrate temperatures of up to 400°C. The best films are those processed in vacuum but films of fair quality can also be obtained in air and nitrogen atmospheres.

Effect of Film Thickness and Laser Energy Density on the Structural Characteristics of Laser-Annealed Polycrystalline Gallium Arsenide Films

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary J. Cheng ◽  
Daniel Pirzada ◽  
Pankaj Trivedi ◽  
David Field
Keyword(s):  
Energy Density ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Electron Backscatter Diffraction ◽  
Laser Energy ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Grain Morphology ◽  
Fiber Texture ◽  
Laser Energy Density ◽  
Laser Crystallization ◽  
Sio2 Substrate

Scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) have been used to study the texture and microstructure evolution during the crystallization of initially amorphous GaAs thin films. A KrF excimer laser, with 30 ns pulse duration was used for crystallization of a-GaAs grown on SiO2 Substrate using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technique. The effect of laser energy density and film thickness on grain morphology has been studied. The integrated information on grain size distribution, preferred orientation, and nature of grain boundaries provides useful information to postulate the mechanism of grain-growth and likely role of different contributing parameters in the evolution of final texture under the highly transient processing conditions prevailing during the short laser irradiation. The results show that for thick films the laser crystallization results in a weak <111> fiber texture. While for a thinner films the grains have a strong <001> texture that strengthens with a decrease in film thickness and increase in laser energy density.

Pulse-to-Pulse Laser Stability Effects on Multiple Shot Excimer Laser Crystallized a-Si Thin Films

1994 ◽  
Vol 343 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. I. Johnson ◽  
G. B. Anderson ◽  
J. B. Boyce ◽  
D. K. Fork ◽  
P. Mei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Energy Density ◽  
Pulse Laser ◽  
Laser Fluence ◽  
Laser Energy ◽  
Laser Energy Density ◽  
Distribution Profile ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Silicon Thin Films

ABSTRACTLaser crystallized amorphous silicon thin films on quartz exhibit a peak in the grain size, electron mobility and the Si (111) x-ray intensity as a function of the laser fluence, substrate temperature, film thickness, and the number of laser shots per unit area. The peak in grain size has also been shown to be dependent: on the stability of the pulse-to-pulse laser energy density, particularly at high shot densities. The shape of the distribution profile of the pulse-to-pulse laser fluence can significantly alter the grain growth at higher shot densities. The modified growth can be expressed by a simple model based on the mean and standard deviation of the laser energy density relative to the characteristic fluence at which the grain size, mobility, and Si (111) x-ray intensities are maximized.

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