Annealing and texturing of a-Si film using Nd³⁺:YAG laser with Gaussian and flat-top beam profiles

An application of a pulsed, solid-state laser with a Gaussian and flat-top beam profiles is considered for annealing and nano-texturing of amorphous-silicon (a-Si) films. Investigations are performed with the third harmonics (355 nm) Nd3+:YAG laser. To crystallize and subsequently induce texture, a-Si films are treated by spatial-overlapping of the laser spots on the surface by 90% of its size. The generation of texturization mechanism in laser assisted annealing and texturing is theoretically investigated and experimentally analyzed. ©2010 IEEE.