Optically Assisted Metal-Induced Crystallization of Thin Si Films for Low-Cost Solar Cells

Optically assisted, metal induced crystallization (MIC) was used to convert amorphous Si films, deposited on Al coated glass substrates, into polycrystalline Si (pc-Si). The study investigated the effects of deposition temperature, process temperature, and film thickness on the grain orientation, grain size, and crystallization front of the processed films. Furthermore, we have attempted to examine the role of Al in MIC – in particular, whether the metal can be confined to the interface while grain enhancement occurs.