Semiconductor thin-film crystallization with decreased edge effects
This technology is a fabrication approach for thin-film transistor (TFT) devices that yields seamless transitions between pixels.
Unmet Need: Highly uniform TFT devices
During the TFT manufacturing process, adjacent areas of the substrate may be consecutively irradiated by different laser pulses having different energies, potentially creating an undesirable sharp spatial transition in crystal structure and performance. When adjacent regions are crystallized by pulses of slightly different energies, differences in energy density between the two regions may cause unwanted edge effects. For instance, if these regions each comprise a single pixel in an LCD, a noticeable transition may exist between pixels.
The Technology: TFT fabrication with reduced edge effects
This technology is a masking approach that introduces spacing between pixels to leverage the asymmetric laser energies and yield smoother pixel edges. By introducing the small spacing between pixels, this technique forces edge crystals to be partially energized by each laser pulse, creating a less noticeable edge at the pixel-pixel interface. As such, this technology enables the manufacturing of high-quality TFT devices.
This technology has been validated in a laboratory environment.
Applications:
- TFT and LCD manufacturing
- Reduced power integrated circuits
Advantages:
- Provides a smooth visual transition between pixels
- Does not require additional manufacturing time
- Can be used with two or more consecutive laser pulses
Lead Inventor:
Patent Information:
Related Publications:
Tech Ventures Reference:
IR M02-061
Licensing Contact: Greg Maskel