Method of Fabricating Thin, Crystalline Silicon Film and Thin Film Transistors

A method of forming a silicon film, the method comprising:

• forming a silicon layer on a substrate, the silicon layer being amorphous and intrinsic at formation;
• forming a nickel pattern on the silicon layer, the silicon layer being amorphous;
• forming a first doped silicon region by doping phosphorus into a selected region of the silicon layer, the silicon layer being amorphous;
• annealing to cause crystallization of the silicon layer, wherein the crystallization propagates by nickel induced lateral crystal growth starting from a portion of the silicon layer located directly adjacent the nickel pattern on a first side of the first doped silicon region, propagating through the first doped silicon region to a second side of the first doped silicon region, and subsequently propagating to crystallize regions of the silicon layer to the second side of the first doped silicon region, the crystallization propagation through the first doped silicon region resulting in reduction in nickel concentration, thereby forming a reduced nickel-concentration crystallized silicon layer to the second side of the first doped silicon region.