Increases in the melt duration of silicon films were achieved by electrical current heating during and after pulsed excimer laser heating. When 50nm thick amorphous silicon films formed on glass substrate were irradiated by 28-ns-pulsed excimer by applying 1.8 mus long pulsed-voltage at 100 V to the films, the silicon films were melted for the duration of the voltage pulse. The power threshold for heat energy for this long melting by the self-heating effect of the silicon films was 3.0 x 10(5) W/cm(2). The high electrical conductivity of the silicon him (2.9 x 10(-2) S/cm) was found after regrowth of the silicon using a laser energy density of 360 mJ/cm(2) and a pulsed voltage of 150 V. The advantages of the long melt duration for large crystalline growth are discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.