The growth of polycrystalline silicon on glass by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition and in situ laser induced recrystallization was investigated with the aim to study the influence of the seed layer and the mechanism of the recrystallization dynamics on the structural and morphological properties of the grown film. A seed layer was used to trigger the solidification process of many additional in situ laser-crystallized overlayers. One-dimensional calculations of the thermal flow produced by laser irradiation were used to clarify the complex interaction between the substrate and the molten silicon surface layer during nucleation and growth. The experiments show the relevant role played by the seed layer and the peculiar shaping of the film surface due to the preferential aggregation of molten silicon. Compact polysilicon films with thicknesses up to 4 μm with almost monocrystalline grains of 1-2-μm size were obtained.

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