Crystallization and doping of amorphous silicon on low temperature plastic

Kaschmitter, James L; Truher, Joel B; Weiner, Kurt H; Sigmon, Thomas W

Title: Crystallization and doping of amorphous silicon on low temperature plastic

Abstract

A method or process of crystallizing and doping amorphous silicon (a-Si) on a low-temperature plastic substrate using a short pulsed high energy source in a selected environment, without heat propagation and build-up in the substrate. The pulsed energy processing of the a-Si in a selected environment, such as BF3 and PF5, will form a doped micro-crystalline or poly-crystalline silicon (pc-Si) region or junction point with improved mobilities, lifetimes and drift and diffusion lengths and with reduced resistivity. The advantage of this method or process is that it provides for high energy materials processing on low cost, low temperature, transparent plastic substrates. Using pulsed laser processing a high (>900.degree. C.), localized processing temperature can be achieved in thin films, with little accompanying temperature rise in the substrate, since substrate temperatures do not exceed 180.degree. C. for more than a few microseconds. This method enables use of plastics incapable of withstanding sustained processing temperatures (higher than 180.degree. C.) but which are much lower cost, have high tolerance to ultraviolet light, have high strength and good transparency, compared to higher temperature plastics such as polyimide.

Inventors:

Kaschmitter, James L ^[1]; Truher, Joel B ^[2]; Weiner, Kurt H ^[3]; Sigmon, Thomas W ^[4]

Pleasanton, CA
Palo Alto, CA
Campbell, CA
Beaverton, OR

Issue Date:: 1994-01-01

Research Org.:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 869492

Patent Number(s):: 5346850

Assignee:: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: C - CHEMISTRY C30 - CRYSTAL GROWTH C30B - SINGLE-CRYSTAL-GROWTH

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

Show more

C - CHEMISTRY C30 - CRYSTAL GROWTH C30B - SINGLE-CRYSTAL-GROWTH
C30B1/023 - {from solids with amorphous structure}
C30B29/06 - Silicon

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L21/02422 - {Non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass, polymers}
H01L21/02488 - {Insulating materials}
H01L21/02532 - {Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium}
H01L21/02595 - {polycrystalline}
H01L21/02667 - {Crystallisation or recrystallisation of non-monocrystalline semiconductor materials, e.g. regrowth}
H01L21/02686 - {Pulsed laser beam}
H01L21/02689 - {using particle beams}
H01L21/32155 - {Doping polycristalline - or amorphous silicon layers}
H01L29/78603 - {characterised by the insulating substrate or support

Show less

DOE Contract Number:: W-7405-ENG-48

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: crystallization; doping; amorphous; silicon; temperature; plastic; method; process; crystallizing; a-si; low-temperature; substrate; pulsed; energy; source; selected; environment; heat; propagation; build-up; processing; bf3; pf5; form; doped; micro-crystalline; poly-crystalline; pc-si; region; junction; improved; mobilities; lifetimes; drift; diffusion; lengths; reduced; resistivity; advantage; provides; materials; cost; transparent; substrates; laser; 900; degree; localized; achieved; films; accompanying; rise; temperatures; exceed; 180; microseconds; enables; plastics; incapable; withstanding; sustained; tolerance; ultraviolet; light; strength; transparency; compared; polyimide; pulsed energy; plastic substrate; method enables; diffusion length; ultraviolet light; amorphous silicon; energy source; pulsed laser; crystalline silicon; processing temperatures; substrate temperature; plastic substrates; substrate temperatures; laser processing; processing temperature; rate temperature; temperature rise; temperature plastic; energy processing; violet light; low-temperature plastic; /438/

Citation Formats


                    Kaschmitter, James L, Truher, Joel B, Weiner, Kurt H, and Sigmon, Thomas W. Crystallization and doping of amorphous silicon on low temperature plastic.  United States: N. p., 1994. 
        Web.

Copy to clipboard


                    Kaschmitter, James L, Truher, Joel B, Weiner, Kurt H, & Sigmon, Thomas W. Crystallization and doping of amorphous silicon on low temperature plastic.  United States.

Copy to clipboard


                    Kaschmitter, James L, Truher, Joel B, Weiner, Kurt H, and Sigmon, Thomas W. Sat .  
        "Crystallization and doping of amorphous silicon on low temperature plastic".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/869492.

Copy to clipboard


                    
@article{osti_869492,

  title        = {Crystallization and doping of amorphous silicon on low temperature plastic},

  author       = {Kaschmitter, James L and Truher, Joel B and Weiner, Kurt H and Sigmon, Thomas W},

  abstractNote = {A method or process of crystallizing and doping amorphous silicon (a-Si) on a low-temperature plastic substrate using a short pulsed high energy source in a selected environment, without heat propagation and build-up in the substrate. The pulsed energy processing of the a-Si in a selected environment, such as BF3 and PF5, will form a doped micro-crystalline or poly-crystalline silicon (pc-Si) region or junction point with improved mobilities, lifetimes and drift and diffusion lengths and with reduced resistivity. The advantage of this method or process is that it provides for high energy materials processing on low cost, low temperature, transparent plastic substrates. Using pulsed laser processing a high (>900.degree. C.), localized processing temperature can be achieved in thin films, with little accompanying temperature rise in the substrate, since substrate temperatures do not exceed 180.degree. C. for more than a few microseconds. This method enables use of plastics incapable of withstanding sustained processing temperatures (higher than 180.degree. C.) but which are much lower cost, have high tolerance to ultraviolet light, have high strength and good transparency, compared to higher temperature plastics such as polyimide.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1994},

  month        = {1}

}

Copy to clipboard

Patent:

Save / Share:

Export Metadata

Save to My Library

Works referenced in this record:

Epitaxial laser crystallization of thin‐film amorphous silicon
journal, August 1978

Bean, J. C.; Leamy, H. J.; Poate, J. M.
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 33, Issue 3
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.90324

Flexible light-Emitting Diode Developed from Conducting Polymers: ▪ Experimental device that operates even when sharply bent represents significant step in semiconductor technology
journal, June 1992

Dagani, Ron
Chemical & Engineering News Archive, Vol. 70, Issue 26
https://doi.org/10.1021/cen-v070n026.p027

Similar Records in DOE Patents and OSTI.GOV collections:

Crystallization and doping of amorphous silicon on low temperature plastic

Patent Kaschmitter, J L; Truher, J B; Weiner, K H; ...

A method or process of crystallizing and doping amorphous silicon (a-Si) on a low-temperature plastic substrate using a short pulsed high energy source in a selected environment, without heat propagation and build-up in the substrate is disclosed. The pulsed energy processing of the a-Si in a selected environment, such as BF3 and PF5, will form a doped micro-crystalline or poly-crystalline silicon (pc-Si) region or junction point with improved mobilities, lifetimes and drift and diffusion lengths and with reduced resistivity. The advantage of this method or process is that it provides for high energy materials processing on low cost, low temperature,more » « less
Fabricating amorphous silicon solar cells by varying the temperature _of the substrate during deposition of the amorphous silicon layer

Patent Carlson, David E [Yardley, PA]

An improved process for fabricating amorphous silicon solar cells in which the temperature of the substrate is varied during the deposition of the amorphous silicon layer is described. Solar cells manufactured in accordance with this process are shown to have increased efficiencies and fill factors when compared to solar cells manufactured with a constant substrate temperature during deposition of the amorphous silicon layer.
Full Text Available
Method for sputtering a PIN microcrystalline/amorphous silicon semiconductor device with the P and N-layers sputtered from boron and phosphorous heavily doped targets

Patent Moustakas, Theodore D [Annandale, NJ]; Maruska, H Paul [Annandale, NJ]

A silicon PIN microcrystalline/amorphous silicon semiconductor device is constructed by the sputtering of N, and P layers of silicon from silicon doped targets and the I layer from an undoped target, and at least one semi-transparent ohmic electrode.
Full Text Available
Amorphous silicon Schottky barrier solar cells incorporating a thin insulating layer and a thin doped layer

Patent Carlson, David E [Yardley, PA]

Amorphous silicon Schottky barrier solar cells which incorporate a thin insulating layer and a thin doped layer adjacent to the junction forming metal layer exhibit increased open circuit voltages compared to standard rectifying junction metal devices, i.e., Schottky barrier devices, and rectifying junction metal insulating silicon devices, i.e., MIS devices.
Full Text Available
Schottky barrier amorphous silicon solar cell with thin doped region adjacent metal Schottky barrier

Patent Carlson, David E [Yardley, PA]; Wronski, Christopher R [Princeton, NJ]

A Schottky barrier amorphous silicon solar cell incorporating a thin highly doped p-type region of hydrogenated amorphous silicon disposed between a Schottky barrier high work function metal and the intrinsic region of hydrogenated amorphous silicon wherein said high work function metal and said thin highly doped p-type region forms a surface barrier junction with the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer. The thickness and concentration of p-type dopants in said p-type region are selected so that said p-type region is fully ionized by the Schottky barrier high work function metal. The thin highly doped p-type region has been found to increase themore » « less
Full Text Available

Similar Records

Title: Crystallization and doping of amorphous silicon on low temperature plastic

Abstract

Citation Formats

Epitaxial laser crystallization of thin‐film amorphous silicon journal, August 1978

Flexible light-Emitting Diode Developed from Conducting Polymers: ▪ Experimental device that operates even when sharply bent represents significant step in semiconductor technology journal, June 1992

Epitaxial laser crystallization of thin‐film amorphous silicon
journal, August 1978

Flexible light-Emitting Diode Developed from Conducting Polymers: ▪ Experimental device that operates even when sharply bent represents significant step in semiconductor technology
journal, June 1992