公开(公告)号：US08802580B2

公开(公告)日：2014-08-12

申请号：US13129219

申请日：2009-11-13

申请人： James S. Im

发明人： James S. Im

IPC分类号： H01L21/00

CPC分类号： H01L21/02686 ,  H01L21/02532 ,  H01L21/02678 ,  H01L27/1285 ,  H01L27/1296

摘要： Crystallization of thin films using pulsed irradiation The method includes continuously irradiating a film having an x-axis and a y-axis, in a first scan in the x-direction of the film with a plurality of line beam laser pulses to form a first set of irradiated regions, translating the film a distance in the y-direction of the film, wherein the distance is less than the length of the line beam, and continuously irradiating the film in a second scan in the negative x-direction of the film with a sequence of line beam laser pulses to form a second set of irradiated regions, wherein each of the second set of irradiated regions overlaps with a portion of the first set of irradiated regions, and wherein each of the first and the second set of irradiated regions upon cooling forms one or more crystallized regions.

摘要翻译： 使用脉冲照射使薄膜结晶化该方法包括：以多条线束激光脉冲在膜的x方向的第一次扫描中连续照射具有x轴和y轴的膜，以形成第一组 的照射区域，使膜在膜的y方向上的距离平移，其中距离小于线束的长度，并且在膜的负x方向上以第二扫描方式连续地照射膜， 一系列线束激光脉冲以形成第二组照射区域，其中第二组照射区域中的每一个与第一组照射区域的一部分重叠，并且其中第一组和第二组照射区域中的每一个 冷却时形成一个或多个结晶区域。

公开(公告)号：US08734584B2

公开(公告)日：2014-05-27

申请号：US12544695

申请日：2009-08-20

申请人： James S. Im ,  Paul C. van der Wilt

发明人： James S. Im ,  Paul C. van der Wilt

IPC分类号： C30B21/02

CPC分类号： H01L21/02609 ,  C30B13/22 ,  C30B29/605 ,  H01L21/02532 ,  H01L21/02595 ,  H01L21/0268 ,  H01L21/02686 ,  H01L21/2026 ,  H01L27/1285 ,  H01L27/1296 ,  H01L29/04 ,  Y10S117/904 ,  Y10T117/10 ,  Y10T117/1004

摘要： In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a method for providing polycrystalline films having a controlled microstructure as well as a crystallographic texture. The methods provide elongated grains or single-crystal islands of a specified crystallographic orientation. In particular, a method of processing a film on a substrate includes generating a textured film having crystal grains oriented predominantly in one preferred crystallographic orientation; and then generating a microstructure using sequential lateral solidification crystallization that provides a location-controlled growth of the grains orientated in the preferred crystallographic orientation.

摘要翻译： 根据一个方面，本发明提供了一种用于提供具有受控微结构以及结晶织构的多晶膜的方法。 该方法提供具有特定结晶取向的细长晶粒或单晶岛。 特别地，在衬底上处理膜的方法包括产生具有主要以一个优选结晶方向取向的晶粒的织构化膜; 然后使用顺序侧向凝固结晶产生微结构，其提供以优选结晶取向取向的晶粒的位置控制生长。

公开(公告)号：US08598588B2

公开(公告)日：2013-12-03

申请号：US12095450

申请日：2006-12-05

申请人： James S. Im

发明人： James S. Im

IPC分类号： H01L29/10

CPC分类号： H01L21/268 ,  H01L21/02422 ,  H01L21/02532 ,  H01L21/02683 ,  H01L21/02691 ,  H01L27/1285 ,  H01L27/1296 ,  H01L29/04

摘要： In some embodiments, a method of processing a film is provided, the method comprising defining a plurality of spaced-apart regions to be pre-crystallized within the film, the film being disposed on a substrate and capable of laser-induced melting; generating a laser beam having a fluence that is selected to form a mixture of solid and liquid in the film and where a fraction of the film is molten throughout its thickness in an irradiated region; positioning the film relative to the laser beam in preparation for at least partially pre-crystallizing a first region of said plurality of spaced-apart regions; directing the laser beam onto a moving at least partially reflective optical element in the path of the laser beam, the moving optical element redirecting the beam so as to scan a first portion of the first region with the beam in a first direction at a first velocity, wherein the first velocity is selected such that the beam irradiates and forms the mixture of solid and liquid in the first portion of the first region, wherein said first portion of the first region upon cooling forms crystalline grains having predominantly the same crystallographic orientation in at least a single direction; and crystallizing at least the first portion of the first region using laser-induced melting.

摘要翻译： 在一些实施例中，提供了一种处理膜的方法，所述方法包括限定多个间隔开的区域，以在膜内预结晶，膜设置在基板上并且能够进行激光诱导熔化; 产生具有一定角度的激光束，该激光束被选择以在膜中形成固体和液体的混合物，并且其中一部分膜在照射区域中在其厚度上熔融; 将膜相对于激光束定位，以准备至少部分预结晶所述多个间隔开的区域的第一区域; 将激光束引导到激光束的路径中的移动的至少部分反射的光学元件上，所述移动光学元件重新定向所述光束，以便以所述光束在第一方向上以第一速度扫描所述第一区域的第一部分 其中所述第一速度被选择为使得所述光束在所述第一区域的所述第一部分中照射和形成固体和液体的混合物，其中所述第一区域的冷却时的所述第一部分形成主要具有相同晶体取向的晶粒 最少一个方向 并且使用激光诱导熔化使至少第一区域的第一部分结晶。

公开(公告)号：US08426296B2

公开(公告)日：2013-04-23

申请号：US13219960

申请日：2011-08-29

申请人： James S. Im

发明人： James S. Im

IPC分类号： H01L21/20

CPC分类号： H01L21/02686 ,  C30B28/08 ,  H01L21/02532 ,  H01L27/1285

摘要： The disclosed subject matter relates to systems and methods for preparing epitaxially textured polycrystalline films. In one or more embodiments, the method for making a textured thin film includes providing a precursor film on a substrate, the film includes crystal grains having a surface texture and a non-uniform degree of texture throughout the thickness of the film, wherein at least a portion of the this substrate is transparent to laser irradiation; and irradiating the textured precursor film through the substrate using a pulsed laser crystallization technique at least partially melt the film wherein the irradiated film crystallizes upon cooling to form crystal grains having a uniform degree of texture.

摘要翻译： 所公开的主题涉及用于制备外延织构化多晶膜的系统和方法。 在一个或多个实施例中，用于制造纹理化薄膜的方法包括在基底上提供前体膜，该膜包括在膜的整个厚度上具有表面纹理和不均匀质地程度的晶粒，其中至少 该基板的一部分对激光照射是透明的; 并且使用脉冲激光结晶技术通过衬底照射织构化的前体膜，至少部分地熔化其中所述被照射的膜在冷却时结晶以形成具有均匀织构的晶粒的膜。

公开(公告)号：US08411713B2

公开(公告)日：2013-04-02

申请号：US12556451

申请日：2009-09-09

申请人： James S. Im

发明人： James S. Im

IPC分类号： H01S3/13

CPC分类号： H01L21/02686 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K26/066 ,  H01L21/02532 ,  H01L21/02678 ,  H01L21/2026 ,  H01L21/268 ,  H01L27/1285 ,  H01L27/1296 ,  H01L29/04 ,  H01L29/66742 ,  H01L29/78651

摘要： A process and system for processing a thin film sample are provided. In particular, a beam generator can be controlled to emit at least one beam pulse. The beam pulse is then masked to produce at least one masked beam pulse, which is used to irradiate at least one portion of the thin film sample. With the at least one masked beam pulse, the portion of the film sample is irradiated with sufficient intensity for such portion to later crystallize. This portion of the film sample is allowed to crystallize so as to be composed of a first area and a second area. Upon the crystallization thereof, the first area includes a first set of grains, and the second area includes a second set of grains whose at least one characteristic is different from at least one characteristic of the second set of grains. The first area surrounds the second area, and is configured to allow an active region of a thin-film transistor (“TFT”) to be provided at a distance therefrom.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种用于处理薄膜样品的方法和系统。 特别地，可以控制光束发生器发射至少一个光束脉冲。 然后对光束脉冲进行掩模以产生至少一个掩模束脉冲，其用于照射薄膜样品的至少一部分。 利用至少一个掩蔽光束脉冲，膜样品的部分被照射足够的强度用于这种部分以后结晶。 允许该薄膜样品的该部分结晶，以便由第一区域和第二区域组成。 在其结晶时，第一区域包括第一组晶粒，第二区域包括第二组晶粒，其至少一个特征与第二组晶粒的至少一个特征不同。 第一区域围绕第二区域，并且被配置为允许在与其一定距离处提供薄膜晶体管（TFT）的有源区域。

公开(公告)号：US08012861B2

公开(公告)日：2011-09-06

申请号：US12275720

申请日：2008-11-21

申请人： James S. Im

发明人： James S. Im

IPC分类号： H01L21/20

CPC分类号： C23C16/56 ,  C23C14/5813 ,  C30B28/06 ,  C30B28/08 ,  H01L21/02595 ,  H01L21/02686 ,  H01L27/1285

摘要： The disclosed subject matter relates to systems and methods for preparing epitaxially textured polycrystalline films. In one or more embodiments, the method for making a textured thin film includes providing a precursor film on a substrate, the film includes crystal grains having a surface texture and a non-uniform degree of texture throughout the thickness of the film, wherein at least a portion of the this substrate is transparent to laser irradiation; and irradiating the textured precursor film through the substrate using a pulsed laser crystallization technique at least partially melt the film wherein the irradiated film crystallizes upon cooling to form crystal grains having a uniform degree of texture.

摘要翻译： 所公开的主题涉及用于制备外延织构化多晶膜的系统和方法。 在一个或多个实施例中，用于制造纹理化薄膜的方法包括在基底上提供前体膜，该膜包括在膜的整个厚度上具有表面纹理和不均匀质地程度的晶粒，其中至少 该基板的一部分对激光照射是透明的; 并且使用脉冲激光结晶技术通过衬底照射织构化的前体膜，至少部分地熔化其中所述被照射的膜在冷却时结晶以形成具有均匀织构的晶粒的膜。

公开(公告)号：US07399359B2

公开(公告)日：2008-07-15

申请号：US10953312

申请日：2004-09-29

申请人： James S. Im ,  Jae Beom Choi

发明人： James S. Im ,  Jae Beom Choi

IPC分类号： H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/31

CPC分类号： H01L21/76867 ,  B23K26/066 ,  C30B13/24 ,  C30B29/02 ,  H01L21/76838

摘要： Method and system for generating a metal thin film with a uniform crystalline orientation and a controlled crystalline microstructure are provided. For example, a metal layer is irradicated with a pulsed laser to completely melt the film throughout its entire thickness. The metal layer can then resolidify to form grains with a substantially uniform orientation. The resolidified metal layer can be irradiated with a sequential lateral solidification technique to modify the crystalline microstructure (e.g., create larger grains, single-crystal regions, grain boundary controlled microstructures, etc.) The metal layer can be irradiated by patterning a beam using a mask which includes a first region capable of attenuating the pulsed laser and a second region allowing complete irradiation of sections of the thin film being impinged by the masked laser beam. An inverse dot-patterned mask can be used, the microstructure that may have substantially the same as the geometric pattern as that of the dots of the mask.

摘要翻译： 提供了用于产生具有均匀结晶取向和受控结晶微结构的金属薄膜的方法和系统。 例如，用脉冲激光对金属层进行辐射，以使其在整个厚度上完全熔化。 然后可以将金属层重新固化以形成具有基本均匀取向的晶粒。 可以用连续的侧向固化技术照射再固化的金属层，以改变结晶微结构（例如，产生更大的晶粒，单晶区域，晶界控制的微结构等）。金属层可以通过使用 掩模，其包括能够衰减所述脉冲激光的第一区域和允许被所述被掩模的激光束照射所述薄膜的部分的完全照射的第二区域。 可以使用反点阵图案掩模，该微结构可以具有与掩模点的几何图案基本相同的微结构。

公开(公告)号：US06830993B1

公开(公告)日：2004-12-14

申请号：US09979201

申请日：2002-02-04

申请人： James S. Im ,  Robert S. Sposili ,  Mark A. Crowder

发明人： James S. Im ,  Robert S. Sposili ,  Mark A. Crowder

IPC分类号： H01L2120

CPC分类号： H01L21/02686 ,  B23K26/06 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K26/066 ,  B23K26/0853 ,  B23K26/3576 ,  B23K2101/40 ,  H01L21/02532 ,  H01L21/02678 ,  H01L21/02691 ,  H01L21/2026 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/32115 ,  H01L21/67253 ,  Y10S438/942

摘要： Systems and methods for reducing a surface roughness of a polycrystalline or single crystal thin film produced by the sequential lateral solidification process are disclosed. In one arrangement, the system includes an excimer laser (110) for generating a plurality of excimer laser pulses of a predetermined fluence, an energy density modulator (120) for controllably modulating the fluence of the excimer laser pulses such that the fluence is below that which is required to completely melt the thin film, a beam homoginizer (144) for homoginizing modulated laser pulses in a predetermined plane, a sample stage (170) for receiving homoginized laser pulses to effect melting of portions of the polycrystalline or single crystal thin film corresponding to the laser pulses, translating means for controllably translating a relative position of the sample stage (170) with respect to the laser pulses, and a computer (110) for coordinating the excimer pulse generation and fluence modulation with the relative positions of the sample stage (170) to thereby process the polycrystalline or single crystal thin film by sequential translation of the sample stage (170) relative to the laser pulses.

摘要翻译： 公开了用于降低由顺序侧向凝固过程产生的多晶或单晶薄膜的表面粗糙度的系统和方法。 在一种布置中，该系统包括用于产生预定注量的多个准分子激光脉冲的准分子激光器（110），能量密度调制器（120），用于可控地调制准分子激光脉冲的能量密度， 需要使薄膜完全熔化的光束均质化器（144），用于使预定平面中的调制激光脉冲同调化，用于接收均质化的激光脉冲以实现多晶或单晶薄膜的部分熔化的样品台（170） 对应于激光脉冲，用于可控地平移样品台（170）相对于激光脉冲的相对位置的平移装置，以及用于将准​​分子脉冲产生和能量密度调制与样品的相对位置协调的计算机（110） （170），从而通过样品台（170）相对于其的顺序平移来处理多晶或单晶薄膜 激光脉冲。

公开(公告)号：US06555449B1

公开(公告)日：2003-04-29

申请号：US09390535

申请日：1999-09-03

申请人： James S. Im ,  Robert S. Sposili ,  Mark A. Crowder

发明人： James S. Im ,  Robert S. Sposili ,  Mark A. Crowder

IPC分类号： H01L2120

CPC分类号： B23K26/0622 ,  B23K26/0626 ,  B23K26/066 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/70725 ,  H01L21/02532 ,  H01L21/0268 ,  H01L21/02686 ,  H01L21/02691 ,  H01L27/1285 ,  H01L27/1296 ,  H01L29/04

摘要： Methods for processing an amorphous silicon thin film sample into a polycrystalline silicon thin film are disclosed. In one preferred arrangement, a method includes the steps of generating a sequence of excimer laser pulses, controllably modulating each excimer laser pulse in the sequence to a predetermined fluence, homoginizing each modulated laser pulse in the sequence in a predetermined plane, masking portions of each homogenized fluence controlled laser pulse in the sequence with a two dimensional pattern of slits to generate a sequence of fluence controlled pulses of line patterned beamlets, each slit in the pattern of slits being sufficiently narrow to prevent inducement of significant nucleation in region of a silicon thin film sample irradiated by a beam let corresponding to the slit, irradiating an amorphous silicon thin film sample with the sequence of fluence controlled slit patterned beamlets to effect melting of portions thereof corresponding to each fluence controlled patterned beamlet pulse in the sequence of pulses of patterned beamlets, and controllably sequentially translating a relative position of the sample with respect to each of the fluence controlled pulse of slit patterned beamlets to thereby process the amorphous silicon thin film sample into a single or polycrystalline silicon thin film.

摘要翻译： 公开了将非晶硅薄膜样品加工成多晶硅薄膜的方法。 在一个优选的布置中，一种方法包括以下步骤：产生准分子激光脉冲序列，可控制地将序列中的每个准分子激光脉冲调制成预定的注量，在预定的平面中使序列中的每个调制的激光脉冲均匀化， 均匀化注量控制的激光脉冲具有二维图案的狭缝，以产生线图案化的子束的注量控制脉冲序列，狭缝图案中的每个狭缝都足够窄，以防止在硅薄层的区域中诱发显着成核 由对应于狭缝的光束照射的薄膜样品，以能量密度控制的狭缝图案化子束的顺序照射非晶硅薄膜样品，以按照图案化的子束的脉冲序列对应于每个注量受控的图案化子束脉冲的部分的熔化 ，并且可控地顺序地翻译相机 相对于狭缝图案化子束的每个注量控制脉冲的样品的位置，从而将非晶硅薄膜样品处理成单个或多晶硅薄膜。

公开(公告)号：US08614471B2

公开(公告)日：2013-12-24

申请号：US12679064

申请日：2008-09-22

申请人： James S. Im ,  Ui-Jin Chung

发明人： James S. Im ,  Ui-Jin Chung

IPC分类号： H01L27/108 ,  H01L21/336 ,  H01L29/76

CPC分类号： H01L33/16 ,  H01L27/12 ,  H01L27/1281

摘要： Collections of laterally crystallized semiconductor islands for use in thin film transistors and systems and methods for making same are described. A display device includes a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs) on a substrate, such that the TFTs are spaced apart from each other and each include a channel region that has a crystalline microstructure and a direction along which a channel current flows. The channel region of each of the TFTs contains a crystallographic grain that spans the length of that channel region along its channel direction. Each crystallographic grain in the channel region of each of the TFTs is physically disconnected from and crystallographically uncorrelated with each crystallographic grain in the channel region of each adjacent TFT.