Impact of rapid thermal annealing and hydrogenation on the doping concentration and carrier mobility in solid phase crystallized poly-Si thin Films

Abstract

The effect of the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and hydrogenation step on the electronic properties of the n + and p + solid phase crystallized (SPC) poly-crystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin films was investigated using Hall effect measurements and four-point-probe measurements. Both the RTA and hydrogenation step were found to affect the electronic properties of doped poly-Si thin films. The RTA step was found to have the largest impact on the dopant activation and majority carrier mobility of the p + SPC poly-Si thin films. A very high Hall mobility of 71 cm 2/Vs for n + poly-Si and 35 cm 2/Vs for p + poly-Si at the carrier concentration of 2×10 19 cm -3 and 4.5×10 19 cm -3, respectively, were obtained. © 2011 Materials Research Society.