Systems and methods for spot beam and line beam crystallization
AssigneeThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
InventorsJames S. Im, Wenkai Pan, Ruobing Song, Insung Choi, Vernon Wong
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Abstract
Methods and systems for crystallizing a thin film provide an optics system configured to produce a laser spot beam directed towards the thin film and truncate the laser spot beam before the laser spot beam comes into contact with the thin film. The truncated laser spot beam is continually translated in a first direction while irradiating an amorphous silicon area of the thin film to generate a molten zone in the irradiated amorphous silicon area, where the thin film cools and solidifies to form crystal grains.
Claims20
A method for crystallizing a thin film, the method comprising steps of:
- providing a thin film;
- providing an optics system including at least one laser, the at least one laser configured to produce a laser spot beam directed towards the thin film;
- truncating, by the optics system, the laser spot beam with a knife edge before the laser spot beam comes into contact with the thin film, wherein the knife edge is spatially decoupled from the laser spot beam;
- continually translating, by the optics system, the truncated laser spot beam in a first direction while irradiating an amorphous silicon area of the thin film to generate a molten zone in the irradiated amorphous silicon area;
- and
- allowing the irradiated amorphous silicon area to cool and solidify,
- wherein truncating the laser spot beam comprises using the knife edge to provide a proximity mask that reduces energy density of the laser spot beam.
A method for crystallizing a thin film, the method comprising steps of:
- providing a thin film;
- providing an optics system including at least one laser, the at least one laser configured to produce a laser spot beam directed towards the thin film;
- truncating, by the optics system, the laser spot beam with a knife edge before the laser spot beam comes into contact with the thin film, wherein the knife edge is spatially decoupled from the laser spot beam;
- continually translating, by the optics system, the truncated laser spot beam in a first direction while irradiating an amorphous silicon area of the thin film to generate a molten zone in the irradiated amorphous silicon area;
- and
- allowing the irradiated amorphous silicon area to cool and solidify, wherein
- truncating the laser spot beam comprises using the knife edge to provide a projection mask and using projection optics that block a portion of the laser spot beam with energy density values substantially close to a crystallization threshold value of amorphous silicon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.