Process for long crystal lateral growth in silicon films by UV and IR pulse sequencing
AssigneeSharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
InventorsApostolos T. Voutsas, Robert S. Sposili, Mark A. Crowder
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Abstract
A process of lateral crystallization is provided for increasing the lateral growth length (LGL). A localized region of the substrate is heated for a short period of time. While the localized region of the substrate is still heated, a silicon film overlying the substrate is irradiated to anneal the silicon film to crystallize a portion of the silicon film in thermal contact with the heated substrate region. A CO2 laser may be used as a heat source to heat the substrate, while a UV laser or a visible spectrum laser is used to irradiate and crystallize the film.
Claims16
A process of lateral crystallization comprising:
- providing a silicon film on a substrate surface;
- heating a localized substrate region at the substrate surface to a temperature above the formal melting point of the substrate for a short period of time such that the substrate is not significantly damaged;
- and
- irradiating a portion of the silicon film in thermal contact with the substrate region to crystallize the portion of the silicon film, while the localized substrate region remains above the formal melting point of the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.