Electrical characteristics of semiconductor film structures obtained on a flexible substrate

In the frame of this work the current-voltage characteristics of thin films of polycrystalline silicon on a flexible polymer substrate were studied, measured when the film was bent in both tension and compression modes. The samples  were fabricated by laser-stimulated metal-induced crystallization of amorphous Si films, deposited by magnetron sputtering on a flexible polyimide film both in constant power and pulsed mode. It has been established that the resistance of a polycrystalline Si film depends on the degree and type of deformation. The change in electrical resistance can be associated with an increase and decrease in the intergranular distance when the film is stretched and  compressed, respectively. The resulting films are promising for the fabrication of semiconductor strain sensors and active elements of flexible electronics.