Effects of thin SiO2 capping layer on silicon‐on‐insulator formation by lateral solid‐phase epitaxy

The effects of a SiO2 capping layer over an amorphous Si surface on the lateral solid‐phase epitaxy of Si are investigated. A thin SiO2 layer (about 5 nm) chemically grown on the deposited amorphous layer reduces the lateral crystal growth length. In addition, observations using a transmission electron microscope reveal that crystal defects are formed during lateral growth at the interface of the surface SiO2 and the deposited amorphous Si layer. These crystal defects are thought to be responsible for the reduction in crystal growth.