Influence of Laser Annealing of Silicon Enriched SiOx Films on Their Electrical Conductivity

The influence of laser annealing on structural transformation and electrical conductivity of amorphous non-stoichiometric SiO x thin films have been studied. It was found that the average sizes of silicon nanocrystals (NCs) increases from 6 nm in initial films up to 35 nm in modified one after structure transformation of SiO x film into nanocomposite SiO 2 (Si) one containing Si nanoclusters in oxide matrix after annealing by nanosecond pulses of the Nd + 3 : YAG laser irradiation with wavelengths of 1.064 μm and 0.532 μm. It has been shown that the size of the NCs and their size distribution depend on the intensity and wavelength of laser radiation. The significant influence of laser annealing on electrical conductivity has been revealed and explained based on structural transformation of the film. It was shown that electron transport mechanism through SiO x films before and after laser annealing depend as on electric field and measurement temperature.