Optical characterization of laser-induced crystallized silicon films

Optical absorption coefficient spectra of thin silicon films were precisely investigated using a simple reflectance system with total reflectance mirrors placed on the rear side of samples in order to cancel an interference effect in a range between 1.1 eV and 3 eV. The absorption coefficient decreased according to crystallization as the laser energy increased and it got similar to that of single crystalline silicon in the range of 1.7 eV 3 eV. However, the absorption coefficient was higher than 10² cm^–1 in the photon energy lower than 1.3 eV. This probably results from band tail states caused by defect states localized at grain boundaries in the crystallized films. 2.5%-phosphorus doped laser crystallized silicon films had a high optical absorption coefficient ( > 10⁴ cm^–1) in the low photon energy range (1.1 eV 1.7 eV) caused by free carriers produced from the dopant atoms activated in the silicon films. The experimental results gave the carrier density of 1.3 × 10²¹ cm³ and the carrier mobility of 20 cm²/Vs.