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.