The orientation ratio of a crystalline semiconductor film obtained by crystallizing
an amorphous semiconductor film through heat treatment and irradiation of intense
light such as laser light, ultraviolet rays, or infrared rays is enhanced, and
a semiconductor device whose active region is formed from the crystalline semiconductor
film and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device are provided.
In a semiconductor film containing silicon and germanium as its ingredient and
having a crystal structure, the {101} plane reaches 30% or more of all the lattice
planes detected by Electron backscatter diffraction. This semiconductor film is
obtained by forming an amorphous semiconductor film containing silicon and germanium
as its ingredient through plasma CVD in which hydride, fluoride, or chloride gas
of a silicon atom is used, the repetition frequency is set to 10 kHz or less, and
the duty ratio is set to 50% or less for intermittent electric discharge or pulsed
electric discharge, and introducing an element for promoting crystallization of
the amorphous semiconductor film to the surface thereof to crystallize the amorphous
semiconductor film while utilizing the introduced element.