FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SIZE-CONTROLLED AND PATTERNED nc-Si DOTS

A new method of phase-modulated excimer laser crystallization is adopted to fabricate the patterned nanometer-sized crystalline silicon (nc-Si) dots within the sandwiched structure (a-SiN_x:H/a-Si:H/a-SiN_x:H) films. The results of transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction and Raman scattering show the ultra-thin and single-layer nc-Si films were patterned in the lateral direction and the size of crystallites is controlled by the thickness of as-deposited a-Si film in the longitudinal direction. The effects of the laser energy density on the structures of the samples and the crystallization mechanism are discussed.