Joule heating induced crystallization (JIC) was accomplished by applying an electric field to a conductive layer located beneath the amorphous silicon film. This study found that an intense arc is generated at the interface between the silicon and the electrode. The artificial modification of a JIC-sample structure led us to the finding that arc generation is caused by the dielectric breakdown of a SiO(2) layer that is sandwiched between the transformed polycrystalline silicon and a conductive layer at high temperatures during Joule heating. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.