Journal of Crystal Growth, Vol.209, No.1, 50-54, 2000
Poly-crystalline silicon with large grains deposited from Al-Si melt
Poly-crystalline Si film with large grains was successfully deposited on a glass plate at relatively low temperatures of 650-750 degrees C from Al melt as the growth solvent by sputtering. Aluminum nitride was used as the wetting agent for the first time. All of the crystal grains are greater than 1 mu m in diameter, and the (1 1 1)-oriented plane is dominant. A small amount of Al-Si precipitates also exist. Hole concentration in the film is of the order of 10(19) cm(-3), which corresponds to the solid solubility of Al in Si. The process by which the Si film consisting of large and uniform crystal grains grows is discussed.