Raman study of amorphous to microcrystalline phase transition in cw laser annealed <i>a</i>-Si:H films

Abstract

The dynamic behavior of continuous wave (cw) laser-induced crystallization in the a-Si:H film on a quartz substrate is studied by light scattering. Microcrystals of dimensions less than 30 Å could be grown in a stable state and it is demonstrated that the surface-to-volume correction is essential for estimating the frequency of the crystallinelike mode. It is suggested that bulk-induced crystallization may be responsible for the formation of very small crystallites.