Several examples of a method for processing a substrate are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method may include: disposing a substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface on a platen contained in a chamber; generating a plasma containing a plurality of charged particles above the upper surface of the substrate, the plasma having a cross sectional area equal to or greater than a surface area of the upper surface of the substrate; applying a first bias voltage to the substrate to attract the charged particles toward the upper surface of the substrate; introducing the charged particles to a region extending under entire upper surface of the substrate; and initiating, concurrently, a first phase transformation in the region from the amorphous phase to a crystalline phase.