Liquid-phase epitaxial growth of amorphous silicon during laser annealing of ultrashallow p+/n junctions

We have investigated the effect of laser annealing on the recrystallization of the preamorphized layer during the formation of ultrashallow $p^{+}\mathrm{/n}$ junctions. The results from channeling Rutherford backscattering spectrometry clearly indicate that the preamorphized layer has been completely annealed with a single-pulse laser irradiation at $\text{0.5\hspace{0.5em}}{\mathrm{J/cm}}^2.$ These data are further verified by high-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. It is proposed that the preamorphized layer has recrystallized to a single-crystalline structure via liquid-phase epitaxy. No observable extended defects are present in the recrystallized region after laser annealing.