Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Fast regrowth of amorphous silicon from liquid silicon films has been directly observed in a time resolved picosecond laser melting experiment. Liquid films up to 100 nm thick were formed on crystalline substrates with 15 picosecond 248 nm pulses from a KrF* excimer laser. The film thickness as a function of time was probed directly by observing attenuation of 1.64 pm 15 psec light pulses transmitted through the melt. Melting and regrowth velocities were compared to a heat diffusion model, and evidence for melt undercooling was observed. The resolidified silicon was amorphous at all values of incident laser intensity.