The intrinsic and phosphorous (P)-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films were crystallized by laser annealing. The structural properties during crystallization process can be investigated. Observed redshifts of the Si Raman transverse optical phonon peak indicate tensile stress present in the films and become intense with the effect of doping, which can be relieved in P-doped films by introducing buffer layer structures. Based on experimental results, the established correlation between the stress and crystalline fraction (X-C) suggests that the relatively high stress can limit the increase in X-C and the highest crystalline fraction is obtained by a considerable stress release. At high laser energy density of 1250 mJ/cm(2), the poorer crystalline quality and disordered structure of the film originating from the irradiation damage and defects lead to the low electron mobility. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.