Temperature distribution during flash lamp annealing of thin film multilayer systems

Flash lamp annealing (FLA) is a modern annealing technique which takes advantage of the millisecond- and microsecond time scale. However, in many cases a direct temperature determination is sophisticated and complex, and sometimes an a priori guess of the temperature is desirable. In this work we simulate the space and time dependent temperature distribution during FLA and compare it with experimental results, e.g. with observable phase changes during the crystallization of amorphous Si layers on insulator for thin film transistor applications. In detail, we will address the following items: (i) the influence of multiple reflections within the layer system as well as between sample and chamber walls, (ii) the influence of lateral and transversal temperature gradients, and (iii) the edge overheating problem. Simulations were performed with the help of both in-house and commercial software tools.