Time-resolved reflectivity techniques for dynamic studies of electron beam recrystallization of silicon-on-insulator films

A time-resolved reflectivity (TRR) technique has been developed for dynamic studies of swept beam heating of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) materials. The method exploits the temperature dependence of the reflectivity of SOI films to allow noncontact temperature measurement with high spatial and temporal resolution. This technique is of considerable practical importance for beam processing, since it allows the temperature distribution induced by a beam being scanned across a specimen to be determined. The temperature distribution produced by a line electron beam swept across a SOI specimen was experimentally measured and found to be consistent with a theoretical prediction. The TRR technique can also be used to study melting and will prove useful for characterizing zone melting recrystallization, where thermal modeling is often inadequate for the complex structures involved.