RECRYSTALLIZATION OF BORON-DOPED AND UNDOPED PREAMORPHIZED SILICON LAYERS BY RAPID AND CONVENTIONAL THERMAL ANNEALING

Cross-sectional electron microscopy observations have been performed to compare the residual disorder from preamorphized silicon layers after conventional and rapid thermal annealings. in both cases, bands of dislocation loops are observed just beneath the initial amorphous/crystal interfaces but the rapid process leads to dislocations of larger sizes. Specific damage calculations suggest that these defects are due to the preamorphization step. Moreover, boron-doping of the preamorphized silicon layers does not increase the residual disorder found after annealing. The presence of boron is shown to increase only the epitaxial regrowth rate of amorphous silicon.