Dopant-dependence of one-step metal-induced dopant activation process in silicon

Abstract

We investigate dopant-dependence of low temperature dopant activation technique in alpha-Si featuring one-step metal-induced crystallization (MIC) to decrease resistivity of p(+) and n(+) Si films by forming NixSiy. Ni not only crystallizes p-type alpha-Si film but also facilitates activation of boron atoms in the alpha-Si during the crystallization at 500 degrees C. However, phosphorus atoms are poorly activated because of the suppressed Ni-MIC rate in n-type alpha-Si. Finally, p(+)/n and n(+)/p junction diodes are demonstrated on single crystalline Si substrates by the low temperature dopant activation technique promising for high performance TFTs as well as transistors with an elevated S/D. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.