Methodology for producing thin film semiconductor devices by crystallizing an amorphous film with crystallization promoting material, patterning the crystallized film, and then increasing the crystallinity with an irradiation

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• disposing a crystallization promoting material in contact with a semiconductor film comprising amorphous silicon formed on an insulating surface;
• crystallizing said semiconductor film by heating;
• patterning the crystallized semiconductor film into at least one semiconductor island;
• heating said at least one semiconductor island with an irradiation of visible or near infrared light to increase crystallinity of the at least one semiconductor island;
• forming a gate insulating film by plasma CVD using TEOS on the at least one semiconductor island after the irradiation;
• and
• forming a gate electrode on the gate insulating film.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• disposing a crystallization promoting material in contact with a semiconductor film comprising amorphous silicon formed on an insulating surface;
• crystallizing said semiconductor film by heating;
• patterning the crystallized semiconductor film into at least one semiconductor island;
• heating said at least one semiconductor island with an irradiation of visible or near infrared light in an oxidizing atmosphere containing a halogen element, thereby increasing crystallinity of the at least one semiconductor island;
• forming a gate insulating film on said at least one semiconductor island after the irradiation;
• and
• forming a gate electrode on said gate insulating film.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• disposing a crystallization promoting material in contact with a semiconductor film comprising amorphous silicon formed on an insulating surface;
• crystallizing said semiconductor film by heating;
• patterning the crystallized semiconductor film into at least one semiconductor island;
• heating said at least one semiconductor island with an irradiation of visible or near infrared light in an oxidizing atmosphere containing a halogen element so that an oxide film is formed on the at least one semiconductor island and crystallinity of the at least one semiconductor island is increased;
• removing said oxide film from the at least one semiconductor island by etching;
• forming a gate insulating film on the at least one semiconductor island after the irradiation;
• and
• forming a gate electrode on the gate insulating film.