Patent · US Expired

Method of monitoring power supplied to heat a substrate

US6444482B1 · kind B1 · utility

1Cited by
9References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 15, 2000
Grant dateSep 3, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 15, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S438/964
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Methods for monitoring power supplied to a substrate to form a doped or undoped crystalline semiconductor material are disclosed. The methods include providing a layer of an amorphous semiconductor material, doped or undoped, on a substrate and heating the substrate while monitoring the power applied to a heating element to heat the substrate so as to maintain a desired temperature. A decrease in the power supplied to the substrate is indicative of a conversion of the amorphous semiconductor material to a crystalline form thereof, at which time the power supplied to the heating element is terminated. By selecting the degree of crystallinity of the layer of doped or undoped amorphous semiconductor material on a substrate, the grain size of the resulting crystalline material can be controlled.

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