Method of Annealing Polycrystalline Silicon Using Solid-State Laser and Devices Built Thereon使用固體激光器退火的多晶矽薄膜製備半導體器件的方法
Thin-film transistors (TFTs) are used in the construction of active-matrix devices like liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, and image sensors. TFTs based on amorphous silicon suffer from low operating speed and lack of a p-type device, making it difficult to realize peripheral circuits. There has therefore been a move to polycrystalline silicon devices, which can be obtained from amorphous silicon by furnace or laser-induced heating.
This invention introduces a technique of forming polycrystalline silicon thin films by combining the processes of crystallization of amorphous silicon and laser based annealing. The resulting quality of the films is good, uniform and reproducible. Semiconductor devices can be built on the films with a low temperature. As a result, the cost of lasers used in the process is typically low.
The resulting polycrystalline silicon can be used in a variety of applications, including but not limited to sensors, electronic devices, flat-panel displays and 3-dimensional integrated circuits (ICs).
1. Higher quality
2. Higher uniformity and reproducibility
3. Lower manufacturing cost
4. Reduction in material micro-defects
5. Resulting silicon can be used in a wide variety of applications
- Amorphous silicon based thin-film transistors for flat-panel liquid-crystal displays
- Polycrystalline silicon based thin-film transistors for higher information - content displays
- 3-dimensional integrated circuits
- Sensors
- Electronic devices
Patent Number: US7381600B2
Application Number: US2005292257A
Inventor: Wong, Man | Kwok, Hoi Sing | Meng, Zhiguo
Priority Date: 2 Dec 2004
Priority Number: US7381600B2
Application Date: 1 Dec 2005
Publication Date: 3 Jun 2008
IPC Current: H01L0021324 | H01L0021477
US Class: 438166 | 257E21134 | 257E21413 | 438487
Assignee Applicant: The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
Title: Method of annealing polycrystalline silicon using solid-state laser and devices built thereon
Usefulness: Method of annealing polycrystalline silicon using solid-state laser and devices built thereon
Summary: Used for forming polycrystalline silicon that is utilized during fabrication of a semiconductor device.
Novelty: Polycrystalline silicon forming method for semiconductor device, involves annealing amorphous silicon`s layer and metal`s layer to form polycrystalline silicon layer that is irradiated with two different harmonics of pulsed laser
Electronics
Semiconductor
1 Dec 2005
US 11/292257
US 7381600
TTC.PA.240S
Hong Kong