Systems, methods and materials including crystallization of substrates via sub-melt laser anneal, as well as products produced by such processes
Systems, methods, and products of processes consistent with the innovations herein relate to aspects involving crystallization of layers on substrates. In one exemplary implementation, there is provided a method of fabricating a device. Moreover, such method may include placing an amorphous/poly material on a substrate and heating the material via a sub-melt laser anneal process to transform the material into crystalline form.
1. A method of fabricating a device, comprising:
placing an amorphous layer of semiconductor material on a base substrate, wherein the base substrate is glass, plastic or steel;
wherein the amorphous layer comprises silicon carbide material comprising silicon and carbon;
heating the amorphous layer of semiconductor material with a pulse laser having a wavelength in an infra-red region of about 1.06 μm or 1.03 μm and a repetition rate above about 10 KHz to partially melt the amorphous layer of semiconductor material and transform the amorphous layer of semiconductor material into crystalline form;
wherein the crystalline form of the amorphous layer of semiconductor material has a thickness of between 1 micron and about 4 microns.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein, the silicon carbide material comprises a layer between 20 nm and 1000 nm in thickness.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising coating the base substrate with a coating before placing the amorphous layer thereon.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the coating is an anti-reflective coating.
5. The method of claim 2 further comprising applying or covering the crystallized amorphous layer with a second amorphous layer.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising heating the second amorphous layer to transform it into crystallized form.
7. The method of claim 2 wherein, as a result of the heat treatment via laser, the crystallized amorphous layer has an average grain size of greater than or equal to 10 microns.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous layer of semiconductor material is deposited via a CVD deposition processes, or a PECVD process, or via sputtering.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein, as a result of the pulse laser heating process, the silicon carbide layer remains at least partially in a solid state.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the silicon carbide material is doped with a N-type or P-type dopant material.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the dopant material comprises Boron or Phosphorus.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein, the silicon carbide material comprises a layer between 20 nm and 1000 nm in thickness.
13. The method of claim 1 further comprising coating the base substrate with a coating before placing the amorphous layer thereon.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the coating is an anti-reflective coating.
15. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying or covering the crystallized amorphous layer with a second amorphous layer.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising heating the second amorphous layer to transform it into crystallized form.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein, as a result of the heat treatment via laser, the crystallized amorphous layer has an average grain size of greater than or equal to 10 microns.
18. A method of fabricating a device, comprising:
placing an amorphous layer of semiconductor material on a base substrate;
wherein the amorphous layer comprises silicon carbide material comprising silicon and carbon;
heating the amorphous layer of semiconductor material with a pulse laser having a wavelength in an infra-red region of about 1.06 μm or 1.03 μm and a repetition rate above about 10KHz to partially melt the amorphous layer of semiconductor material and transform the amorphous layer of semiconductor material into crystalline form;
wherein the crystalline form of the amorphous layer of semiconductor material has a thickness of between 1 micron and about 4 microns.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the base substrate comprises a semiconductor substrate.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein, the silicon carbide material comprises a layer between 20 nm and 1000 nm in thickness.
21. The method of claim 19 wherein, as a result of the pulse laser heating process, the silicon carbide layer remains at least partially in a solid state.
22. The method of claim 19 wherein, the silicon carbide layer is doped with a N-type or P-type dopant material.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the dopant material comprises Boron or Phosphorus.
24. The method of claim 19 further comprising coating the base substrate with a coating before placing the amorphous layer thereon.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein the coating is an anti-reflective coating.
26. The method of claim 19 further comprising applying or covering the crystallized amorphous layer with a second amorphous layer.
27. The method of claim 26 further comprising heating the second amorphous layer to transform it into crystallized form.
28. The method of claim 19 wherein, as a result of the heat treatment via laser, the crystallized amorphous layer has an average grain size of greater than or equal to 10 microns.
29. The method of claim 18 wherein, as a result of the pulse laser heating process, the silicon carbide layer remains at least partially in a solid state.
30. The method of claim 18 wherein, the silicon carbide layer is doped with a N-type or P-type dopant material.
31. The method of claim 30 wherein the dopant material comprises Boron or Phosphorus.
32. The method of claim 18 further comprising coating the base substrate with a coating before placing the amorphous layer thereon.
33. The method of claim 32 wherein the coating is an anti-reflective coating.
34. The method of claim 18 further comprising applying or covering the crystallized amorphous layer with a second amorphous layer.
35. The method of claim 34 further comprising heating the second amorphous layer to transform it into crystallized form.
36. The method of claim 18 wherein, as a result of the heat treatment via laser, the crystallized amorphous layer has an average grain size of greater than or equal to 10 microns.
37. A method of fabricating a device, comprising:
placing an amorphous layer of semiconductor material on a base substrate;
coating the substrate with silicon nitride;
heating the amorphous layer of semiconductor material with a pulse laser having a wavelength in an infra-red region of about 1.06 μm or 1.03 μm and a repetition rate above about 10 KHz to partially melt the amorphous layer of semiconductor material and transform the amorphous layer of semiconductor material into crystalline form;
wherein the crystalline form of the amorphous layer of semiconductor material has a thickness of between 1 micron and about 4 microns.
38. The method of claim 37 wherein the base substrate comprises a semiconductor substrate.
39. The method of claim 38 wherein, as a result of the pulse laser heating process, the silicon nitride layer remains at least partially in a solid state.
40. The method of claim 38 further comprising applying or covering the crystallized amorphous layer with a second amorphous layer.
41. The method of claim 40 further comprising heating the second amorphous layer to transform it into crystallized form.
42. The method of claim 38 wherein, as a result of the heat treatment via laser, the crystallized amorphous layer has an average grain size of greater than or equal to 10 microns.
43. The method of claim 37 wherein, as a result of the pulse laser heating process, the silicon nitride layer remains at least partially in a solid state.
44. The method of claim 37 further comprising applying or covering the crystallized amorphous layer with a second amorphous layer.
45. The method of claim 44 further comprising heating the second amorphous layer to transform it into crystallized form.
46. The method of claim 37 wherein, as a result of the heat treatment via laser, the crystallized amorphous layer has an average grain size of greater than or equal to 10 microns.
47. A method of fabricating a device, comprising:
placing an amorphous layer of semiconductor material on a base substrate;
coating the substrate with silicon oxynitride;
heating the amorphous layer of semiconductor material with a pulse laser having a wavelength in an infra-red region of about 1.06 μm or 1.03 μm and a repetition rate above about 10 KHz to partially melt the amorphous layer of semiconductor material and transform the amorphous layer of semiconductor material into crystalline form;
wherein the crystalline form of the amorphous layer of semiconductor material has a thickness of between 1 micron and about 4 microns.
48. The method of claim 47 wherein the base substrate comprises a semiconductor substrate.
49. The method of claim 48 wherein, as a result of the pulse laser heating process, the silicon oxynitride remains at least partially in a solid state.
50. The method of claim 48 further comprising applying or covering the crystallized amorphous layer with a second amorphous layer.
51. The method of claim 50 further comprising heating the second amorphous layer to transform it into crystallized form.
52. The method of claim 48 wherein, as a result of the heat treatment via laser, the crystallized amorphous layer has an average grain size of greater than or equal to 10 microns.
53. The method of claim 47 wherein, as a result of the pulse laser heating process, the silicon oxynitride remains at least partially in a solid state.
54. The method of claim 47 further comprising applying or covering the crystallized amorphous layer with a second amorphous layer.
55. The method of claim 54 further comprising heating the second amorphous layer to transform it into crystallized form.
56. The method of claim 47 wherein, as a result of the heat treatment via laser, the crystallized amorphous layer has an average grain size of greater than or equal to 10 microns.