Abstract: A method of producing sheets of crystalline material is disclosed, as well as devices employing such sheets. In the method, a growth mask is formed upon a substrate and crystalline material is grown at areas of the substrate exposed through the mask and laterally over the surface of the mask to form a sheet of crystalline material. This sheet is optionally separated so that the substrate can be reused. The method has particular importance in forming sheets of crystalline semiconductor material for use in solid state devices.

Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor structure including a semiconductor film formed on a semiconductor substrate body via an insulating film includes: laminating a first insulating film, a first semiconductor film, and a second insulating film on the semiconductor substrate successively; forming stripe-shaped second semiconductor films of predetermined width on the second insulating film arranged periodically at a predetermined interval and covering these second semiconductor films with a third insulating film; performing zone melting recrystallization of the first semiconductor film from one end of the substrate to the opposite end along the stripe direction of the stripe-shaped second semiconductor film; etching the third insulating film and portions of the second insulating film not sandwiched by the first and second semiconductor films; oxidizing portions of the second semiconductor film and the first semiconductor film exposed in the etching step and etching and removing the second insulating film rem

Abstract: A process for producing a crystal comprises the step of applying crystal forming treatment on a light-transmissive substrate having a non-nucleation surface (S.sub.NDS) of a small nucleation density and a nucleation surface (S.sub.NDL) of a nucleation density (ND.sub.L) greater than the nucleation density (N.sub.DS) of said non-nucleation surface (S.sub.NDS) and formed of an amorphous material (M.sub.L) different from the material (M.sub.S) forming the non-nucleation surface (S.sub.NDS) at a small area sufficient to effect crystal growth from only a single nucleus to form a single crystal nucleus on the nucleation surface (S.sub.NDL), thereby growing a single crystal from the single nucleus, and the step of reducing the crystal defects of the crystal in the vicinity of the interface with the substrate by irradiation of light from the side of the substrate.

Abstract: A thin semiconductor film having at least one an edge is formed on a base whose material is different from the material of the thin semiconductor film. A laser beam, for example, is applied to the semiconductor film thereby to melt the semiconductor film including the edge for thereby beading the edge upwardly. The melted semiconductor film including the edge is solidified and hence recrystallized into a semiconductor crystal. A plurality of spaced reflecting films may be formed on the thin semiconductor film before the laser beam is applied. Various semiconductor devices including a thin-film transistor, a solar cell, and a bipolar transistor may be fabricated of the semiconductor crystal.

Abstract: A method of forming single-crystal semiconductor films, in which a single-crystal semiconductor substrate having a crystal axis transferred from a single-crystal semiconductor substrate is formed on an insulator layer via a seed hole which goes through the insulator layer which is formed on the single-crystal semiconductor substrate, comprises the steps of: forming a non-single-crystal semiconductor substrate connected to a single-crystal semiconductor substrate via a seed hole on an insulator layer; irradiating a compound beam which includes a first energy beam having a power density which is capable of melting a non-single-crystal semiconductor film and a second energy beam having a power density which is not capable of melting the non-single-crystal semiconductor film but capable of softening the insulator layer positioned below the non-single-crystal semiconductor film; and epitaxially growing the single-crystal semiconductor film in such a way that the non-single-crystal semiconductor film is melted and

Abstract: A process for recrystallizing a semiconductor layer including the steps of forming a polycrystalline or amorphous semiconductor layer on a substrate and scanning energy beam on the semiconductor layer, wherein the energy beam is vibrated substantially in parallel to the direction of advance of the scanning of the energy beam. For carrying out the process, the apparatus includes a sample stage for holding a sample having a polycrystalline or amorphous semiconductor layer, an energy beam source for generating energy beam, a scanning means for scanning the energy beam on the semiconductor layer, and a beam-vibrating means for vibrating the energy beam substantially in parallel to the direction of advance of the scanning of the energy beam.