Large-grain polysilicon crystallization enhancement using pulsed RTA

Enhanced metal-induced lateral crystallization (MILC) using a pulsed rapid thermal annealing (PRTA) technique to form a large-grain polysilicon layer has been investigated. By applying high temperature for a short period of time, MILC is enhanced while the background solid phase crystallization is suppressed. Experimental results show that the PRTA method is capable of increasing the rate of directional crystallization and improving the crystal quality of the recrystallized polysilicon layer. The overall annealing time and total thermal budget to achieve similar grain size as in constant temperature annealing is also reduced.