Orientation filtering by growth-velocity competition in zone-melting recrystallization of silicon on SiO2

We describe a method of controlling the in-plane 〈100〉 directions of grains in (100)-textured silicon films produced by zone-melting recrystallization over amorphous SiO2. Grains having in-plane orientation within a narrow range are able to grow through an orientation filter consisting of a pattern of crystallization barriers, while grains having other orientations are occluded. The results of experiments using an orientation filter, and the parameters which optimize filter performance, are reported.