Patent · US Expired

Low temperature process for laser dehydrogenation and crystallization of amorphous silicon

US5366926A · kind A · utility

79Cited by
3References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 7, 1993
Grant dateNov 22, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 7, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S148/093
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A low temperature process for dehydrogenating amorphous silicon using lasers. Dehydrogenation occurs by irradiating one or more areas of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer with laser beam pulses at a relatively low energy density. After the multiple laser pulse irradiation at a relatively low energy density, the laser energy density is increased and multiple irradiation at a higher energy density is performed. If after the multiple irradiation at the higher energy density the amorphous silicon hydrogen content is still too high, dehydrogenation proceeds by multiple irradiations at a yet higher energy density. The irradiation at the various energy densities can result in the formation of polysilicon due to melting of the amorphous silicon layer. As irradiation may be selectively applied to the amorphous silicon, an integral amorphous silicon-polysilicon structure may be formed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.