Lateral epitaxial growth by seeded solidification

A method of forming a semiconductor body comprising:

• (a) forming an insulating first layer over a crystallization substrate, said substrate being formed with regions of substantially single crystal material;
• (b) forming a second layer of amorphous or polycrystalline material over the first layer;
• (c) forming a third layer of wetting agent material means over said first and second layers for preventing agglomeration of said second layer when melted;
• (d) forming openings through said first layer to expose a portion of said substrate to said second layer at said regions;
• (e) heating at least said second layer to melt portions of the second layer exposed to said regions of substantially single crystal material to provide sufficient mass flow of melted material from the portions of the second layer to the region of the single crystal material to establish crystallization orientation contact therebetween;
• (f) solidifying the second layer to transform the wetted second layer material to large grain substantially single crystal material, the crystallinity of said transformed second layer material being influenced by the exposed crystallization substrate regions.

A method of forming a layered semiconductor structure on a substrate body having at least one region of single crystal material covered by an intermediate material comprising:

• (a) forming a first layer of amorphous or polycrystalline material over said substrate but separated from said region of said substrate by said intermediate material;
• (b) providing an opening through said first layer and said intermediate material to the region of single crystal material in the substrate;
• (c) heating at least a portion of said first layer near said opening to melt the first layer portion and establish mass flow of said melted portion to said region of single crystal material and thereby establish orientation contact between said first layer and said region of single crystal material;
• and
• (d) solidifying the melted portion of the first layer to recrystallize the portion to large grain substantially single crystal material seeded by said single crystal substrate material.

A method of forming a semiconductor body comprising:

• (a) first, forming an insulating first layer over a crystallization substrate having at least one substantially single crystalline portion;
• (b) forming a second layer of amorphous or polycrystalline material over the first layer;
• (c) then, forming at least one opening to expose said second layer to said single crystal portion of said substrate;
• (d) after the opening is formed heating at least a portion of said second layer to melt a portion of the second layer to provide a sufficient orientation contact of the melted portion with the single crystalline portion;
• and
• (e) solidfiying the second layer to transform the melted second layer material to large grain substantially single crystal material, the crystallinity of said transformed second layer material being influenced by the crystallization of the substrate at said portion.

A method of forming a semiconductor body comprising:

• (a) forming an insulating first layer over a crystallization substrate, said substrate being formed with regions of substantially single crystal material;
• (b) forming a second layer of amorphous or polycrystalline material over the first layer;
• (c) forming a third layer of wetting agent material means over said first and second layers for preventing agglomeration of said second layer when melted;
• (d) sequentially forming openings through the third to and including the first layer to expose portions of said substrate at said regions todfyid second layer;
• (e) then heating said layers to melt portions of the second layer exposed to said regions to provide a sufficient orientation contact of the melted portions with the regions;
• (f) solidifying the second layer to transform the second layer material to large grain substantially single crystal material, the crystallinity of said second layer being influenced by the crystallization substrate regions.

A method of forming a layered semiconductor structure on a substrate having a least one region of single crystal material comprising:

• (a) forming a first layer of amorphous or polycrystalline material over said substrate but separated from said region by an intermediate material;
• (b) providing an opening through said intermediate material to expose said first layer to the region of single crystal material in the substrate;
• (c) then heating said first layer to melt the first layer to form an orientation contact between the region and the first layer;
• (d) solidifying the first layer to transform the layer material to large grain substantially single crystal material seeded by said region of single crystal material.