Comparison of Characteristics of Rapid Thermal and Microwave Annealed Amorphous Silicon Thin Films Prepared by Electron Beam Evaporation and Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition

In this study we use chemical and physical vapor depositions to fabricate amorphous silicon (a-Si) films. We also use traditional rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and advanced microwave annealing (MWA) to activate or crystallize a-Si films and then observe their sheet resistances and crystallization. We discovered, although the cost of films fabricated by electron beam (e-beam) evaporation is relatively lower than by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), the effects of the former method are poorer whether in sheet resistance or film crystallization. In addition, only at the doping layer prepared by CVD can film crystallization degree produced by MWA match RTA.