Incoherent light annealing of phosphorus‐doped polycrystalline silicon

The use of intense incoherent light to anneal chemical vapour deposited polycrystalline silicon layers heavily doped with phosphorus is reported. Pulse duration of 4 to 20 s and light power density ensuring sample heating up to the temperatures of 900 to 1100 °C are employed. An order reduction in the resistivity of the polycrystalline layers while grain size and carrier mobility remain practically unchanged is achieved by light annealing. The results are compared to furnace annealing data at the same temperatures. Diffusion of segregated at grain boundaries phosphorus atoms into crystallites is supposed to be responsible for lowering the resistivity.