Method for formation of thin film transistors on plastic substrates
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating silicon thin film transistors on a low-temperature plastic substrate, comprising:
- providing a low temperature plastic substrate,forming a first insulating layer on the substrate,forming a layer of amorphous silicon on the first insulating layer,forming a second insulating layer on the amorphous silicon layer,forming a metal layer on the second insulating layer,removing a portion of the metal layer,removing a portion of the second insulating layer so as to leave at least a portion of the silicon layer exposed,doping and crystallizing the exposed silicon layer by pulsed laser processing,providing a third insulating layer on the doped silicon layer and a remaining portion of the metal layer,forming contact vias in the third insulating layer, andforming source, gate, and drain contact and interconnect metalization in the vias.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process for formation of thin film transistors (TFTs) on plastic substrates replaces standard thin film transistor fabrication techniques, and uses sufficiently lower processing temperatures so that inexpensive plastic substrates may be used in place of standard glass, quartz, and silicon wafer-based substrates. The process relies on techniques for depositing semiconductors, dielectrics, and metals at low temperatures; crystallizing and doping semiconductor layers in the TFT with a pulsed energy source; and creating top-gate self-aligned as well as back-gate TFT structures. The process enables the fabrication of amorphous and polycrystalline channel silicon TFTs at temperatures sufficiently low to prevent damage to plastic substrates. The process has use in large area low cost electronics, such as flat panel displays and portable electronics.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating silicon thin film transistors on a low-temperature plastic substrate, comprising:
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providing a low temperature plastic substrate, forming a first insulating layer on the substrate, forming a layer of amorphous silicon on the first insulating layer, forming a second insulating layer on the amorphous silicon layer, forming a metal layer on the second insulating layer, removing a portion of the metal layer, removing a portion of the second insulating layer so as to leave at least a portion of the silicon layer exposed, doping and crystallizing the exposed silicon layer by pulsed laser processing, providing a third insulating layer on the doped silicon layer and a remaining portion of the metal layer, forming contact vias in the third insulating layer, and forming source, gate, and drain contact and interconnect metalization in the vias. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification