Thermal modeling of zone-melting-recrystallization processing of silicon-on-insulator film structures

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Abstract
A numerical simulation model that considers changes in thermal and radiation properties during zone-melting-recrystallization processing of silicon-on-insulator film structures with a graphite strip heater was developed. A series of numerical experiments were conducted to investigate the conductive, convective, and radiative parameters affecting the process. The variability of the thermal conductivity of silicon as a function of temperature at the premelting stage and the variation in thermal conductivity due to the multilayer nature of the structure were found not to affect of the temperature distribution during processing. The convective heat losses induced by the inert gas in the processing chamber does not affect significantly the temperature profiles in the film structure, but can reduce the melt zone width by 10%–25%. The study of radiative effects focused on the effects of varying the width and height of the graphite strip and the distance between the graphite strip and the film structure. These parameters significantly affect the temperature distribution and the width of the melt zone. The relationships between the convection and radiation parameters and the resultant melt zone width are presented in graphical form for use in design optimization.