Formation of silicon nanocrystals in SiN$_x$ film on PET substrates using femtosecond laser pulses

The formation of Si nanoclusters under the action of femtosecond laser pulses in a SiN$_x$ film containing excess silicon has been studied. The initial film was grown by plasmachemical deposition at 100$^\circ$C on a PET substrate. The pulsed crystallization was effected by a Ti-sapphire laser operating at a wavelength of 800 nm and a pulse duration of about 50 fs. According to the Raman spectroscopy data, the pulsed laser annealing stimulated the accumulation of excess silicon in nanoclusters and their crystallization. The proposed approach can be used for the formation of semiconductor nanocrystals in dielectric films on various plastic (polymer) substrates.