Hostname: page-component-77f85d65b8-45ctf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-04-21T10:39:19.776Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Self-heating of silicon microwires: Crystallization and thermoelectric effects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 April 2011

Gokhan Bakan ,
Niaz Khan ,
Adam Cywar ,
Kadir Cil ,
Mustafa Akbulut ,
Ali Gokirmak  and
Helena Silva
Gokhan Bakan*
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
Niaz Khan
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
Adam Cywar
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
Kadir Cil
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
Mustafa Akbulut
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
Ali Gokirmak
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
Helena Silva*
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
*
a)Address all correspondence to these authors. e-mail: gokhan@engr.uconn.edu
b)e-mail: helena.silva@uconn.edu
Get access

Abstract

We describe experiments on self-heating and melting of nanocrystalline silicon microwires using single high-amplitude microsecond voltage pulses, which result in growth of large single-crystal domains upon resolidification. Extremely high current densities (>20 MA/cm2) and consequent high temperatures (1700 K) and temperature gradients (1 K/nm) along the microwires give rise to strong thermoelectric effects. The thermoelectric effects are characterized through capture and analysis of light emission from the self-heated wires biased with lower magnitude direct current/alternating current voltages. The hottest spot on the wires consistently appears closer to the lower potential end for n-type microwires and to the higher potential end for p-type microwires. The experimental light emission profiles are used to verify the mathematical models and material parameters used for the simulations. Good agreement between experimental and simulated profiles indicates that these models can be used to predict and design optimum geometry and bias conditions for current-induced crystallization of microstructures.

Keywords

SiCrystal growthThermoelectricity

Information

Type
Invited Feature Paper
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 9 , 14 May 2011 , pp. 1061 - 1071
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

1.Wagner, S., Gleskova, H., Cheng, I.C., and Wu, M.: Silicon for thin-film transistors. Thin Solid Films 430, 15 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Reuss, R.H., Chalama, B.R., Moussessian, A., Kane, M.G., Kumar, A., Zhang, D.C., Rogers, J.A., Hatalis, M., Temple, D., Moddel, G., Eliasson, B.J., Estes, M.J., Kunze, J., Handy, E.S., Harmon, E.S., Salzman, D.B., Woodall, J.M., Alam, M.A., Murthy, J.Y., Jacobsen, S.C., Olivier, M., Markus, D., Campbell, P.M., and Snow, E.: Macroelectronics: Perspectives on technology and applications. Proc. IEEE 93, 1239 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Makino, T. and Nakamura, H.: Electrical and optical properties of boron doped amorphous silicon films prepared by CVD. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 17, 1897 (1978).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Wagner, R.S. and Ellis, W.C.: Vapor-liquid-solid mechanism of single crystal growth. Appl. Phys. Lett. 4, 89 (1964).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Kamins, T.I.: Polycrystalline Silicon for Integrated Circuits and Displays (Kluwer Academics Publishers, Norwell, MA, 1998), p. 378.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Cui, Y., Zhong, Z., Wang, D., Wang, W.U., and Lieber, C.M.: High performance silicon nanowire field effect transistors. Nano Lett. 3, 149 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Shi, X., Henttinen, K., Suni, T., Suni, I., Lau, S.S., and Wong, M.: Characterization of low-temperature processed single-crystalline silicon thin-film transistor on glass. IEEE Electron Device Lett. 24, 574 (2003).Google Scholar
8.Wu, Y.C., Chang, T.C., Liu, P.T., Wu, Y.C., Chou, C.W., Tu, C.H., Lou, J.C., and Chang, C.Y.: Mobility enhancement of polycrystalline-Si thin-film transistors using nanowire channels by pattern-dependent metal-induced lateral crystallization. Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 143504 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Su, C.J., Lin, H.C., and Huang, T.Y.: High-performance TFTs with Si nanowire channels enhanced by metal-induced lateral crystallization. Electron Device Lett. IEEE 27, 582 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Kim, J.Y., Han, J.W., Han, J.M., Kim, Y.H., Oh, B.Y., Kim, B.Y., Lee, S.K., and Seo, D.S.: Nickel oxide-induced crystallization of silicon for use in thin film transistors with a SiN diffusion filter. Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 143501 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Sposili, R.S. and Im, J.S.: Sequential lateral solidification of thin silicon films on SiO. Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 2864 (1996).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Im, J.S., Sposili, R.S., and Crowder, M.A.: Single-crystal Si films for thin-film transistor devices. Appl. Phys. Lett. 70, 3434 (1997).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Sameshima, T., Andoh, N., and Takahashi, H.: Rapid crystallization of silicon films using electrical-current-induced joule heating. J. Appl. Phys. 89, 5362 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Andoh, N., Sameshima, T., and Kitahara, K.: Crystallization of silicon films by rapid joule heating method. Thin Solid Films 487, 118 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Bakan, G., Cywar, A., Silva, H., and Gokirmak, A.: Melting and crystallization of nanocrystalline silicon microwires through rapid self-heating. Appl. Phys. Lett. 94, 251910 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Glazov, V.M., Chizhevskaya, S.N., and Glagoleva, N.N.: Liquid Semiconductors (Plenum Press, New York, 1969), p. 362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Schnyders, H.S. and Van Zytveld, J.B.: Electrical resistivity and thermopower of liquid Ge and Si. J. Phys. Condens. Matter 8, 10875 (1996).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Sasaki, H., Ikari, A., Terashima, K., and Kimura, S.: Temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of molten silicon. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 34, 3426 (1995).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Bakan, G., Cil, K., Cywar, A., Silva, H., and Gokirmak, A.: Measurements of liquid silicon resistivity on silicon microwires, in Semiconductor Nanowires–Growth, Size-Dependent Properties and Applications, edited by P.C. McIntyre, J.M. Redwing, V. Schmidt, and S. Gradecak (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 1178E, Warrendale, PA, 2009), p. AA06-06.Google Scholar
20.Ayas, S., Bakan, G., Williams, N.E., Gokirmak, A., and Silva, H.: Finite element simulation of filamentation in nanocrystalline silicon films under electrical stress. Presented at the 2010 MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, 2010; (AA17, 64).Google Scholar
21.Williams, N.E., Carpena, E., Cil, K., Silva, H., and Gokirmak, A.: Temperature dependent electrical characterization and crystallization of nanocrystalline silicon. Presented at the 2010 MRS Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2010: (A17.9).Google Scholar
22.Rowe, D.M.: Thermoelectrics Handbook: Macro to Nano (CRC Press, Florida, 2006).Google Scholar
23.MacDonald, D.K.C.: Thermoelectricity: An Introduction to the Principles (Dover Publications, Mineola, NY, 2006), p. 133.Google Scholar
24.Mastrangelo, C.H., Yeh, J.H.J., and Muller, R.S.: Electrical and optical characteristics of vacuum-sealed polysiliconmicrolamps. IEEE Trans. Electron. Dev. 39, 1363 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Englander, O., Christensen, D., and Lin, L.: Local synthesis of silicon nanowires and carbon nanotubes on microbridges. Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 4797 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26.Jungen, A., Stampfer, C., and Hierold, C., Thermography on a suspended microbridge using confocal Raman scattering. Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 191901, 05/08 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27.Schroder, D.K.: Semiconductor Material and Device Characterization (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 2006).Google Scholar
28.Tio Castro, D., Goux, L., Hurkx, G.A.M., Attenborough, K., Delhougne, R., Lisoni, J., Jedema, F.J., in’t Zandt, M.A.A., Wolters, R.A.M., Gravesteijn, D.J., Verheijen, M.A., Kaise, M., Weemaes, R.G.R., and Wouters, D.J.: Evidence of the thermo-electric Thomson effect and influence on the program conditions and cell optimization in phase-change memory cells, in IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting, 2007, pp. 315–318.Google Scholar
29.COMSOL-Multiphysics Modeling Library, http://www.comsol.com.Google Scholar
30.Lifshitz, E.M., Landau, L.D., and Pitaevskii, L.P.: Electrodynamics of Continuous Media, 2nd ed. (Pergamon Press, MA, 1984), p. 455.Google Scholar
31.Geisberger, A.A., Sarkar, N., Ellis, M., and Skidmore, G.D.: Electrothermal properties and modeling of polysilicon microthermal actuators. J. Microelectromech. Syst. 12, 513 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32.Von Arx, M., Paul, O., and Baltes, H.: Test structures to measure the Seebeck coefficient of CMOS IC polysilicon. IEEE Trans. Semicond. Manuf. 10, 201 (1997).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
33.Fulkerson, W., Moore, J.P., Williams, R.K., Graves, R.S., and McElroy, D.L.: Thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, and seebeck coefficient of silicon from 100 to 1300° K. Phys. Rev. 167, 765 (1968).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34.Geballe, T.H. and Hull, G.W.: Seebeck effect in silicon. Phys. Rev. 98, 940 (1955).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
35.Bux, S.K., Blair, R.G., Gogna, P.K., Lee, H., Chen, G., Dresselhaus, M.S., Kaner, R.B., and Fleurial, J.P.: Nanostructured bulk silicon as an effective thermoelectric material. Adv. Funct. Mater. 19, 2445 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
36.Jones, D.I., Le Comber, P.G., and Spear, W.E.: Thermoelectric power in phosphorus doped amorphous silicon. Philos. Mag. 36, 541 (1977).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
37.Ong, C., Sin, E., and Tan, H.: Heat-flow calculation of pulsed excimer ultraviolet laser’s melting of amorphous and crystalline silicon surfaces. J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 3, 812 (1986).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38.Sato, T.: Spectral emissivity of silicon. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 6, 339 (1967).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
39.Brandon, D.G. and Kaplan, W.D.: Microstructural Characterization of Materials, 2nd ed. (Wiley, New York, 1999), p. 536.Google Scholar