Claims
- 1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a layer of a semiconductor material on at least a portion of a surface of a substrate; forming along the surface a capillary structure, which is in communication with the semiconductor material but is at least partially empty of the semiconductor material; heating the semiconductor material, so as to cause the semiconductor material to melt and flow into the capillary structure; and allowing the semiconductor material to cool to form a crystal in the semiconductor material.
- 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein allowing the semiconductor material to cool causes the crystal to be seeded in the capillary structure and to spread from the capillary structure through an area of the semiconductor material.
- 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein heating the semiconductor material comprises bringing the semiconductor material to an overheated full melt.
- 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the layer of the semiconductor material comprises depositing amorphous silicon (a-Si) on the surface.
- 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein forming the capillary structure comprises forming a plurality of non-contiguous capillary structures at a plurality of respective locations distributed over the surface, so as to create crystals of the semiconductor material at the respective locations.
- 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein heating the semiconductor material comprises directing a beam of radiation toward the surface at each of the locations so as to locally melt the semiconductor material.
- 7. The method according to claim 5, wherein providing the layer of the semiconductor material comprises creating a plurality of islands of the semiconductor material in respective positions on the surface that are adjacent to the respective locations of the capillary structures.
- 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the capillary structure comprises a groove.
- 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein forming the capillary structure comprises forming the groove to extend at least partially beneath the surface.
- 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein forming the capillary structure comprises etching a first dielectric layer on the surface of the substrate to define the groove, and depositing a second dielectric layer over the groove after etching the first dielectric layer, so as to reduce a width of the groove.
- 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein etching the first dielectric layer comprises defining an indentation in communication with the groove, and wherein providing the layer of the semiconductor material comprises depositing the semiconductor material in the indentation.
- 12. The method according to claim 8, wherein forming the capillary structure comprises building the capillary structure at least partly above the surface.
- 13. The method according to claim 8, wherein forming the capillary structure comprises:
etching the semiconductor material to create a protuberance on the surface at a location of the groove; depositing a layer of dielectric material over the etched semiconductor material; directionally etching the dielectric material so as to form dielectric spacers on the surface surrounding the protuberance; and removing the semiconductor material from between the dielectric spacers so as to create the groove.
- 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the protuberance at the location of the groove comprises a first protuberance, and wherein etching the semiconductor material comprises creating a second protuberance in communication with the first protuberance, so that directionally etching the dielectric material forms the dielectric spacers surrounding the first and second protuberances, and wherein removing the semiconductor material comprises etching away the first protuberance without removing the second protuberance.
- 15. An assembly for use in producing a semiconductor device, comprising:
a substrate; a layer of a semiconductor material disposed over at least a portion of a surface of a substrate; and a capillary structure, which is formed along the surface of the substrate in communication with the semiconductor material but is at least partially empty of the semiconductor material.
- 16. The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the capillary structure is adapted so that upon heating the semiconductor material to a melt, the semiconductor material flows into the capillary structure.
- 17. The assembly according to claim 16, wherein the capillary structure and semiconductor material are arranged so that as the semiconductor material cools after the heating, a crystal is seeded in the capillary structure and spreads from the capillary structure through an area of the semiconductor material.
- 18. The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the semiconductor material comprises amorphous silicon (a-Si).
- 19. The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the capillary structure comprises a plurality of non-contiguous capillary structures at a plurality of respective locations distributed over the surface.
- 20. The assembly according to claim 19, wherein the semiconductor material comprises a plurality of islands of the semiconductor material in respective positions on the surface that are adjacent to the respective locations of the capillary structures.
- 21. The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the capillary structure comprises a groove.
- 22. The assembly according to claim 21, wherein the groove extends at least partially beneath the surface.
- 23. The assembly according to claim 21, and comprising first and second dielectric layers deposited on the surface, wherein the capillary structure is formed by etching the first dielectric layer on the surface of the substrate to define the groove, and depositing the second dielectric layer over the groove after etching the first dielectric layer, so as to reduce a width of the groove.
- 24. The assembly according to claim 23, wherein the first dielectric layer is etched to define an indentation in communication with the groove, and wherein the semiconductor material is deposited in the indentation.
- 25. The assembly according to claim 21, wherein the capillary structure comprises a protuberance built-up at least partially above the surface.
- 26. The assembly according to claim 21, and comprising a layer of dielectric material deposited on the surface, wherein the capillary structure is formed by etching the semiconductor material to create a protuberance on the surface at a location of the groove, depositing the layer of dielectric material over the etched semiconductor material, directionally etching the dielectric material so as to form dielectric spacers on the surface surrounding the protuberance, and removing the semiconductor material from between the dielectric spacers so as to create the groove.
- 27. The assembly according to claim 26, wherein the protuberance at the location of the groove comprises a first protuberance, and wherein the semiconductor material is etched to create a second protuberance in communication with the first protuberance, so that the dielectric spacers surround the first and second protuberances, and wherein the semiconductor material is removed from the groove by etching away the first protuberance without removing the second protuberance.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/474,612, filed Jun. 2, 2003, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60474612 |
Jun 2003 |
US |