Recrystallization and oxidation - competing processes during PECVD ultrathin silicon layer high temperature annealing

In this work we have studied relations between three competing effects that take place during high temperature annealing of PECVD ultrathin silicon layer, namely: amorphous silicon recrystallization, amorphous silicon oxidation and oxidation of just received crystalline silicon in the first few minutes of this process. Understanding very complex relations between these kinetics is essential to allow for conscious manipulating of annealing and/or oxidation parameters in order to achieve different results, depending on the application in mind. The presented below results are, to our knowledge, the first attempt to address these issues.