Low temperature poly-Si thin-film transistor fabrication by metal-induced lateral crystallization

A new low temperature crystallization method for poly-Si TFTs was developed: Metal-Induced Lateral Crystallization (MILC). The a-Si film in the channel area of a TFT was laterally crystallized from the source/drain area, on which an ultrathin nickel layer was deposited before annealing. The a-channel poly-Si TFTs fabricated at 500/spl deg/C by MILC showed a mobility of 121 cm/sup 2//V/spl middot/s, a threshold voltage of 1.2 V, and an on/off current ratio of higher than 10/sup 6/. These electrical properties are much better than TFTs fabricated by conventional crystallization at 600/spl deg/C.