Controlling silicon crystallization in aluminum-induced crystallization via substrate plasma treatment

The effect of reactive ion etching using chlorine or fluorine-based plasmas on aluminum-induced crystallization (AIC) of silicon on fused silica glass substrates was investigated with the goal of chemically modifying the substrate surface and thereby influencing the crystallization behavior. Chlorine etching of the glass prior to AIC resulted in six times faster silicon crystallization times and smaller grain sizes than films formed on untreated substrates while fluorine etching resulted in crystallization times double than those on untreated surfaces. The differences in crystallization behavior were attributed to changes in surface chemistry and surface energy of the glass as a result of the plasma treatment as supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. The different surface treatments were then combined with optical lithography to control the location of crystallization on the substrate surface to realize the production of patterned polycrystalline silicon films from initially continuous aluminum and silicon.