Thin film crystallization process
AssigneeLux Semiconductors, Inc.
InventorShane Thomas McMahon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of performing regional heating of a substrate by electromagnetic induction heating. The method may include applying a semiconductor film to the substrate and controllably energizing a coil positioned near the substrate. The energized coil(s) thereby generates a magnetic flux, which induces a current in the substrate and/or the semiconductor film, thereby heating the substrate and/or semiconductor film. The method may also include relative motion between the coil and the substrate to provide translation heating of the semiconductor film. Additionally, a crystal seeding mechanism may be employed to further control the crystallization process.
Claims19
A method for forming a crystalline semiconductor film, the method comprising:
- applying a first semiconductor thin film onto a supporting electrically conductive substrate;
- electrically coupling to the supporting electrically conductive substrate through a coil positioned adjacent to the supporting electrically conductive substrate;
- creating a heat zone along a width of the supporting electrically conductive substrate which conducts to a corresponding zone of the first semiconductor thin film to melt the corresponding zone of the first semiconductor thin film;
- scanning the heat zone along a length of the supporting electrically conductive substrate through relative motion between the supporting electrically conductive substrate and the coil to melt corresponding zones of the first semiconductor thin film;
- and
- controlling the melted first semiconductor thin film zones to solidify into a crystalline film as the heat zone progresses past the zone-heated region.
A method of forming a crystalline semiconductor film, the method comprising:
- applying a first semiconductor thin film onto a supporting electrically conductive substrate;
- electrically coupling to the supporting electrically conductive substrate through a coil positioned adjacent to the supporting electrically conductive substrate;
- creating a heat zone to a temperature above 1200 degrees C. along a width of the supporting electrically conductive substrate which conducts to a corresponding zone of the first semiconductor thin film to activate dopants within the zone of the semiconductor film;
- scanning the heat zone along a length of the supporting electrically conductive substrate through relative motion between the supporting electrically conductive substrate and the coil to activate dopants within the corresponding zones of the first semiconductor thin film;
- and
- controlling cooling of the first semiconductor thin film zones to solidify into a crystalline film as the heat zone progresses past the zone-heated region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.