Epitaxial laser crystallization of thin‐film amorphous silicon

Vapor‐deposited amorphous silicon films of 4000 A thickness have been epitaxially crystallized on (100) silicon substrates by pulsed Nd : YAG laser radiation of 125‐nsec duration at power levels of 90–120 MW/cm2. The epitaxial layers were found to be defect free when examined by transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering. Patterned arrays of epitaxial crystal were produced by overlapping individual 39‐μm laser pulse spots.