Topography and Local Electrical Properties of Nondoped Polycrystalline Silicon Thin Films Evaluated Using Conductive-Mode Atomic Force Microscopy

The topography and local electrical properties of nondoped excimer laser-annealed polycrystalline silicon thin films were simultaneously studied using conductive-mode atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results of conductive-mode atomic force microscopy show that the mounds in the topography are less conductive and the prairies' have line-shaped, less conductive areas, where as those of transmission electron microscopy reveal that grain boundaries are located in both the mounds and prairies. These results indicate that the grain boundaries located in the mounds play a dominant role in determing the local electrical properties of nondoped excimer laser-annealed polycrystalline silicon thin films. We believe, accordingly, that the line-shaped, less conductive areas are related to the grain boundaries located in the prairies.