Crystallization of semiconductor thin films is used in the manufacture of many devices, including thin film transistors, image sensors, and liquid crystal displays. Methods such as sequential lateral solidification (SLS) use laser irradiation to fabricate high quality polycrystalline films with large, uniform crystal grains. However, the many iterative steps of irradiation and translation required impede high-throughput production. By providing methods that allow translation of both the film and the laser during irradiation, this technology allows complete crystallization of a thin film with a single scan.
While methods such as SLS have been instrumental to the efficient patterning of semiconductor materials and thin films, there is a need to increase throughput rates without sacrificing quality. This technology details methods for crystallization of thin films with a single laser scan. Specifically, crystallization is achieved in a single scan by concurrently translating the film and the laser in independent directions. Unlike methods such as SLS, this technology therefore avoids the need to scan the same area of the substrate multiple times for complete crystallization. Additionally, this technology is capable of providing elongated grains that result in improved crystalline properties of the film. By using single scan irradiation, this technology promises accelerated crystallization of thin films for high-throughput manufacturing applications.
Tech Ventures Reference: IR M03-050