Rapid partial melt crystallization of silicon for monolithic three-dimensional integration

Controlling the crystallization process of semiconductor materials is essential for many applications, including monolithic three-dimensional integration of devices. In particular, crystallization must be done while keeping to the thermal budget of underlying device layers. Using a 532nm laser pulse of 10ms duration, we demonstrate partial melting of silicon, which yields crystallites several microns in size upon cooling. A ⟨100⟩ preferential orientation was observed in these crystallites, which may be a consequence of partial melting. By observing the melt evolution, we show that a partial melt can form on the millisecond time scale and does not require thermal equilibrium to exist. By reducing the laser pulse duration further, such a process could be compatible with the thermal constraints of three-dimensional integration.