Directed lateral growth was used to reduce the lattice defect-density in polycrystalline silicon thin films on glass substrates. A study was carried out on metal-induced lateral crystallization at 450 to 650C using nickel as a catalyst, and solid-phase crystallization at 600 to 900C with no catalyst. The defect density in the films was characterized by means of micro-Raman spectroscopy. The geometries of the grains and defects were observed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the defect density in grains of polycrystalline Si, fabricated by metal-induced lateral crystallization, decreased with decreasing temperature. That in grains of polycrystalline Si, fabricated using solid-phase crystallization, increased with decreasing temperature. The results suggested that directed lateral growth became predominant in metal-induced lateral crystallization, leading to the suppression of defect formation.

Suppression of Defects during Metal-Induced Lateral Crystallization of Polycrystalline-Silicon Thin Films by Directed Lateral Growth. K.Kitahara, J.Kambara, M.Kobata, H.Tsuda: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 2009, 48[9], 091203