Low-temperature nickel-induced nano-crystallization of silicon on PET by MIC, hydrogenation and mechanical stress

The effects of RF-Plasma hydrogenation and applied mechanical strain on the crystallization of silicon layers deposited on plastic substrates have been investigated where the maximum temperature remained below 170 °C for the entire process. The structural properties of the samples have been studied by optical, scanning-electron and transmission-electron microscopy where the nano-crystallinity of the silicon layers has been confirmed. The maximum average diameter of the silicon grains was 4.5 nm and occurred for an applied tensile strain of 4%. In addition, a thin-film transistor on a plastic substrate has been fabricated and found to possess an electron mobility of 2.4 cm2/V s.