Rapid vapour deposition and: In situ melt crystallization for 1 min fabrication of 10 μm-thick crystalline silicon films with a lateral grain size of over 100 μm

We developed a film deposition method which yielded continuous polycrystalline Si films with large lateral grain sizes of over 100 μm and thicknesses of ∼10 μm in 1 min on growth substrates other than silicon wafers in a single-step process. The silicon source is heated to ∼2000 °C, much higher than the melting point of Si, which enables a high deposition rate. Controlling the temperature of the growth substrate, initially above and later below the melting point of Si, allows the seamless lateral to vertical growth of crystalline silicon grains. Thermally and chemically stable substrates of quartz glass and alumina with a 0.1 μm-thick amorphous carbon layer were effective; liquid silicon wetted well by forming a thin SiC interlayer while substrates stayed stable. Such large-grain polycrystalline silicon films synthesized rapidly in 1 min may be used for low-cost, stable and flexible thin film photovoltaic cells.