The effects of high temperature annealing on metal-induced laterally crystallized polycrystalline silicon

Metal-induced laterally crystallized (MILC) polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) with and without a post-crystallization high temperature anneal have been studied and compared. It was revealed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that the anneal resulted in significant improvement in the material quality. Consequently, the electrical properties of the annealed MILC poly-Si resistors were greatly enhanced, showing conduction behavior approaching that of single-crystal Si. Thin-film transistors realized on high-temperature annealed MILC poly-Si exhibited excellent device characteristics, thus making them potentially applicable to three-dimensional (3-D) device integration. Based on the TEM observations and a detailed consideration of the mechanism of grain growth during MILC, the effects of the anneal can be explained in terms of the evolution of the unique MILC grain structure during the high temperature treatment.