Influence of the Existence of an Underlying SiO2 Layer on the Lateral Solid‐Phase Epitaxy of Amorphous Silicon

The influence of the existence of an underlying SiO 2 layer on the lateral solid-phase epitaxy (L-SPE) of amorphous Si was investigated by comparing the characteristics of L-SPE with and without an underlying SiO 2 layer. For the L-SPE with an underlying SiO 2 layer which had a change from {110} to {111} facet growth, high density crystal defects, most of which were dislocations, were detected especially in the {111} facet growth region. The formation of {111} facets is caused primarily by high density dislocations incorporated by relaxation of the stress which originates from the retardation of Si atom rearrangement