Superlateral growth of a-Ge film by excimer laser annealing

90 - nm -thick a-Ge films were melted and solidified by excimer laser annealing method. The superlateral growth (SLG) distance increased from 0.5to4.1μm with increasing absorption coefficient of the light-absorptive underlayer. Real-time reflectivity measurement revealed that the increase in the SLG distance resulted from an increase in the Ge film solidification term from 60to650ns. The SLG velocity calculated from the proportionality constant of the SLG distance and the solidification term was 6–7m∕s. It was shown that SLG grains exhibit a single-crystalline structure.