This book summarizes the most recent aspects of polycrystalline semiconductors as presented at the conference Polycrystalline Semiconductors - Grain Boundaries and Interfaces. It contains 12 review articles on selected topics written by experts in their fields and 41 complementary contributed papers. The structure, chemistry and physics of grain boundaries and other interfaces are experimentally and theoretically studied. Aspects of the technologically important polycrystalline silicon are discussed in detail. Also covered are other polycrystalline semiconductors, germanium and compound semiconductors, that are currently of interest in fundamental research and in the technology of solar cells and thin film devices. Anyone interested in polycrystalline semiconductors will be able to use this comprehensive collection to advantage. It also suggests directions for new research and development.

In terms of structure, the field of semiconductors spans a wide range, from the perfect order of single crystals to the non-periodic, disordered amorph ous state. The two extremes of this range attract a large amount of inter est. On one side, glamorous novel phenomena are being found which can only occur in specially tailored ultra-perfect periodic lattices. On the other side, the exotic and challenging nature of the amorphous state has triggered a surge of activity in recent years. Po1ycrystall i ne semi conductors are in between. They are among the work horses in the field, useful in many applications, a handy solution to many practical problems and still - they have not received in the past the amount of research interest that they deserve. It is the aim of the present book to improve this situation. The book originated from the lectures and seminars presented at the course on "Po1ycrystall i ne Semi conductors - Physical Properties and Applications" of "the International School on Materials Scien ce and Technology, hel d at the Centre for Sci entifi c Culture "Ettore Majorana" in Erice, Italy, July 1-15, 1984.

Recent years have seen silicon integrated circuits enter into an increasing number of technical and consumer applications, until they now affect everyday life, as well as technical areas. Polycrystalline silicon has been an important component of silicon technology for nearly two decades, being used first in MOS integrated circuits and now becoming pervasive in bipolar circuits, as well. During this time a great deal of informa tion has been published about polysilicon. A wide range of deposition conditions has been used to form films exhibiting markedly different properties. Seemingly contradictory results can often be explained by considering the details of the structure formed. This monograph is an attempt to synthesize much of the available knowledge about polysilicon. It represents an effort to interrelate the deposition, properties, and applications of polysilicon so that it can be used most effectively to enhance device and integrated-circuit perfor mance. As device performance improves, however, some of the proper ties of polysilicon are beginning to restrict the overall performance of integrated circuits, and the basic limitations of the properties of polysili con also need to be better understood to minimize potential degradation of circuit behavior.

Polycrystalline and Amorphous Thin Films and Devices is a compilation of papers that discusses the electronic, optical, and physical properties of thin material layers and films. This compilation reviews the different applications of thin films of various materials used as protective and optical coatings, thermal transfer layers, and selective membranes from submicron- area VLSI memory units to large-area energy conservation devices. Some papers discuss the basic properties, such as growth, structure, electrical, and optical mechanisms that are encountered in amorphous and polycrystalline thin semiconductor films. For example, experiments on electronic structure of dislocations have led to a model for the intrinsic properties of grain boundaries in polycrystalline semiconductor thin films that can have an impact on the designs of high-efficiency, thin-film solar cells. Other papers review the problems encountered in these thin layers in active semiconductor devices and passive technologies. Techniques in film growth and control variables of source, substrate temperature, and substrate properties will determine the successful performance of the devices installed with these thin film layers. This compilation can prove valuable for chemists, materials engineers, industrial technologists, and researchers in thin-film technology.

This book comprises the contributions to the sixth conference on polycrystalline semiconductors (POLYSE). The conference covered many aspects of polycrystalline semiconductors, but was more applications-oriented than on previous occasions; thereby reflecting the rapid evolution of these technologies. POLYSE 2000 brought together research specialists from basic research, as well as from research & development engineering, all of whom are working on devices such as thin-film transistors, micro-electromechanical systems, or sensors and actuators. In particular, ten internationally recognized scientists (J. Morante, S.Périchon, M. Konagai, S. Wagner, R. Hagenbeck, D.A. Bonnell, G. Horowitz, T.Fuyuki, J. Kocka and V. Chuwere) were invited to review their work on several interesting and promising aspects of the subject: such as, micro-systems, solar cells, thin-film transistors, organic polycrystalline devices and polycrystalline ceramics.

This book comprises the over 100 contributions that were presented at the International Conference on Polycrystalline Semiconductors which took place from September 10 to 13, 2002, in Nara, Japan.

Polycrystalline Silicon for Integrated Circuits and Displays, Second Edition presents much of the available knowledge about polysilicon. It represents an effort to interrelate the deposition, properties, and applications of polysilicon. By properly understanding the properties of polycrystalline silicon and their relation to the deposition conditions, polysilicon can be designed to ensure optimum device and integrated-circuit performance. Polycrystalline silicon has played an important role in integrated-circuit technology for two decades. It was first used in self-aligned, silicon-gate, MOS ICs to reduce capacitance and improve circuit speed. In addition to this dominant use, polysilicon is now also included in virtually all modern bipolar ICs, where it improves the basic physics of device operation. The compatibility of polycrystalline silicon with subsequent high-temperature processing allows its efficient integration into advanced IC processes. This compatibility also permits polysilicon to be used early in the fabrication process for trench isolation and dynamic random-access-memory (DRAM) storage capacitors. In addition to its integrated-circuit applications, polysilicon is becoming vital as the active layer in the channel of thin-film transistors in place of amorphous silicon. When polysilicon thin-film transistors are used in advanced active-matrix displays, the peripheral circuitry can be integrated into the same substrate as the pixel transistors. Recently, polysilicon has been used in the emerging field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), especially for microsensors and microactuators. In these devices, the mechanical properties, especially the stress in the polysilicon film, are critical to successful device fabrication. Polycrystalline Silicon for Integrated Circuits and Displays, Second Edition is an invaluable reference for professionals and technicians working with polycrystalline silicon in the integrated circuit and display industries.