Abstract: Disclosed are a method of producing a crystalline semiconductor material capable of improving the crystallinity and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device using the crystalline semiconductor material. An amorphous film is uniformly irradiated with a pulse laser beam (energy beam) emitted from an XeCl excimer laser by 150 times so as to heat the amorphous film at such a temperature as to partially melt crystal grains having the {100} orientations with respect to the vertical direction of a substrate and melt amorphous film or crystal grains having face orientations other than the {100} orientations. Silicon crystals having the {100} orientations newly occur between a silicon oxide film and liquid-phase silicon and are bonded to each other at random, to newly form crystal grains having the {100} orientations.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method of producing a crystalline semiconductor material capable of improving the crystallinity and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device using the crystalline semiconductor material. An amorphous film is uniformly irradiated with a pulse laser beam (energy beam) emitted from an XeCl excimer laser by 150 times so as to heat the amorphous film at such a temperature as to partially melt crystal grains having the {100} orientations with respect to the vertical direction of a substrate and melt amorphous film or crystal grains having face orientations other than the {100} orientations. Silicon crystals having the {100} orientations newly occur between a silicon oxide film and liquid-phase silicon and are bonded to each other at random, to newly form crystal grains having the {100} orientations.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method of producing a crystalline semiconductor material capable of improving the crystallinity and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device using the crystalline semiconductor material. An amorphous film is uniformly irradiated with a pulse laser beam (energy beam) emitted from an XeCl excimer laser by 150 times so as to heat the amorphous film at such a temperature as to partially melt crystal grains having the {100} orientations with respect to the vertical direction of a substrate and melt amorphous film or crystal grains having face orientations other than the {100} orientations. Silicon crystals having the {100} orientations newly occur between a silicon oxide film and liquid-phase silicon and are bonded to each other at random, to newly form crystal grains having the {100} orientations.

Abstract: A method for making a thin-film semiconductor device includes an annealing step of irradiating an amorphous semiconductor thin film with a laser beam so as to crystallize the amorphous semiconductor thin film. In the annealing step, the semiconductor thin film is continuously irradiated with the laser beam while shifting the position of the semiconductor thin film irradiated with the laser beam at a predetermined velocity so that excess hydrogen can be removed from the region irradiated with the laser beam without evaporating and expanding hydrogen ions in the semiconductor thin film.

Abstract: A low concentration impurity diffusion region is formed with good controllability even in case of using a low heat resistant substrate. When doping a semiconductor layer, after forming the semiconductor layer on the substrate, the amount of the dopant ion adsorbed on a surface of the semiconductor layer is controlled by introducing hydrogen gas at the time of plasma irradiation and activating the adsorbed dopant ion in the semiconductor layer by an excimer laser.

Abstract: A low concentration impurity diffusion region is formed with good controllability even in case of using a low heat resistant substrate. When doping a semiconductor layer, after forming the semiconductor layer on the substrate, the amount of the dopant ion adsorbed on a surface of the semiconductor layer is controlled by introducing hydrogen gas at the time of plasma irradiation and activating the adsorbed dopant ion in the semiconductor layer by an excimer laser.

Abstract: The invention provides a functional device having no cracks and capable of delivering good functional characteristics and a method of manufacturing the same. A functional layer (14) is formed by crystallizing an amorphous silicon layer as a precursor layer by laser beam irradiation. A laser beam irradiation conducts heat up to a substrate (11) to cause it to try to expand; a stress to be produced by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the substrate (11) and the functional layer (14) is shut off by an organic polymer layer (12) lower in thermal expansion coefficient than the substrate (11), thereby causing no cracks nor separations in the functional layer (14). The organic polymer layer (12) is preferably made of an acrylic resin, an epoxy resin, or a polymer material containing these that is deformed by an optical or thermal process to undergo a three-dimensional condensation polymerization, for higher compactness and hardness.

Abstract: A solution containing impurity ions is applied onto the surface of a silicon film to form a solution layer, followed by drying into a compound layer containing the impurities. Heat treatment is performed by irradiation with an energy beam so as to diffuse the impurity atoms in the compound layer toward the silicon film into a source region and a drain region. Subsequently, the compound layer is removed.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method of producing a crystalline semiconductor material capable of improving the crystallinity and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device using the crystalline semiconductor material. An amorphous film is uniformly irradiated with a pulse laser beam (energy beam) emitted from an XeCl excimer laser by 150 times so as to heat the amorphous film at such a temperature as to partially melt crystal grains having the {100} orientations with respect to the vertical direction of a substrate and melt amorphous film or crystal grains having face orientations other than the {100} orientations. Silicon crystals having the {100} orientations newly occur between a silicon oxide film and liquid-phase silicon and are bonded to each other at random, to newly form crystal grains having the {100} orientations.

Abstract: An epitaxial rare earth oxide (001)/silicon (001) structure is realized by epitaxially growing a rare earth oxide such as cerium dioxide in the (001) orientation on a (001)-oriented silicon substrate. For this purpose, the surface of the (001)-oriented Si substrate is processed into a dimer structure by 2×1, 1×2 surface reconstruction, and a rare earth oxide of a cubic system or a tetragonal system, such as CeO2 film, is epitaxially grown in the (001) orientation on the Si substrate by molecular beam epitaxy, for example. During this growth, a source material containing at least one kind of rare earth element is supplied after the supply of an oxidic gas is supplied onto the surface of the Si substrate. If necessary, annealing is conducted in vacuum after the growth.

Abstract: An optical energy conversion apparatus 10 includes a first impurity doped semiconductor layer 5, formed on a substrate, and which is of a semiconductor material admixed with a first impurity, an optically active layer 6, formed on the first impurity doped semiconductor layer 5, and which is of a hydrogen-containing amorphous semiconductor material, and a second impurity doped semiconductor layer 7, admixed with a second impurity and formed on the optically active semiconductor layer 6. The second impurity doped semiconductor layer is of a polycrystallized semiconductor material lower in hydrogen concentration than the material of the optically active semiconductor layer 6. The average crystal grain size in the depth-wise direction in an interfacing structure between the optically active semiconductor layer 6 and the second impurity doped semiconductor layer 7 is decreased stepwise in a direction proceeding from the surface of the second impurity doped semiconductor layer towards the substrate 1.

Abstract: For manufacturing a semiconductor device, such as thin-film solar battery, comprising a base body made of an organic high polymer material, an oxide electrode film and semiconductor thin film each containing at least one kind of group IV elements on the oxide electrode film, one of the semiconductor thin films in contact with the oxide electrode film is stacked by sputtering in a non-reducing atmosphere such as atmosphere not containing hydrogen gas, for example. Thereby, it is ensured that granular products as large as and beyond 3 nm are not contained substantially at the interface between the oxide electrode film and that semiconductor thin film. Therefore, a semiconductor thin film such as amorphous semiconductor thin film can be stacked with enhanced adherence on a plastic substrate having an oxide electrode film like ITO film on its surface.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method of producing a crystalline semiconductor material capable of improving the crystallinity and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device using the crystalline semiconductor material. An amorphous film is uniformly irradiated with a pulse laser beam (energy beam) emitted from an XeCl excimer laser by 150 times so as to heat the amorphous film at such a temperature as to partially melt crystal grains having the {100} orientations with respect to the vertical direction of a substrate and melt amorphous film or crystal grains having face orientations other than the {100} orientations. Silicon crystals having the {100} orientations newly occur between a silicon oxide film and liquid-phase silicon and are bonded to each other at random, to newly form crystal grains having the {100} orientations.

Abstract: A lower concentration impurity diffusion region can be formed under excellent control, even when a low heat-resistant substrate is used. At the time of doping a semiconductor layer, a mask such as sidewalls (24) where an energy beam passes through, is formed on a part of a surface of a semiconductor layer (21), dopant ions (25) are adsorbed on the surface of the semiconductor layer (21) except a region in which the mask is formed, and an energy beam EBL is irradiated onto the semiconductor layer (21) having the formed mask to introduce the dopant ions into the semiconductor layer (21). In the lower part of the mask such sidewalls (24), diffusion in transverse direction occurs and lower concentration impurity diffusion regions can be formed in excellent reproducibility under excellent control.

Abstract: The invention provides a functional device having no cracks and capable of delivering good functional characteristics and a method of manufacturing the same. A functional layer (14) is formed by crystallizing an amorphous silicon layer as a precursor layer by laser beam irradiation. A laser beam irradiation conducts heat up to a substrate (11) to cause it to try to expand; a stress to be produced by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the substrate (11) and the functional layer (14) is shut off by an organic polymer layer (12) lower in thermal expansion coefficient than the substrate (ii), thereby causing no cracks nor separations in the functional layer (14). The organic polymer layer (12) is preferably made of an acrylic resin, an epoxy resin, or a polymer material containing these that is deformed by an optical or thermal process to undergo a three-dimensional condensation polymerization, for higher compactness and hardness.

Abstract: An epitaxial rare earth oxide (110)/silicon (001) structure is realized by epitaxially growing a rare earth oxide such as cerium dioxide in the (110) orientation on a (001)-oriented silicon substrate at a growth temperature lower than conventional ones. For this purpose, the surface of the (001)-oriented Si substrate is processed into a dimer structure by 2×1, 1×2 surface reconstruction, and a rare earth oxide of a cubic system or a tetragonal system, such as CeO2 film, is epitaxially grown in the (110) orientation on the Si substrate in an atmosphere containing an oxidic gas by using a source material made up of at least one kind of rare earth element. During this growth, a source material containing at least one kind of rare earth element is supplied after the supply of an oxidic gas is supplied onto the surface of the Si substrate.

Abstract: A low concentration impurity diffusion region is formed with good controllability even in case of using a low heat resistant substrate. When doping a semiconductor layer, after forming the semiconductor layer on the substrate, the amount of the dopant ion adsorbed on a surface of the semiconductor layer is controlled by introducing hydrogen gas at the time of plasma irradiation and activating the adsorbed dopant ion in the semiconductor layer by an excimer laser.

Abstract: A functional device free from cracking and having excellent functional characteristics, and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. A low-temperature softening layer (12) and a heat-resistant layer (13) are formed in this order on a substrate (11) made of an organic material such as polyethylene terephthalate, and a functional layer (14) made of polysilicon is formed thereon. The functional layer (14) is formed by crystallizing an amorphous silicon layer, which is a precursor layer, with laser beam irradiation. When a laser beam is applied, heat is transmitted to the substrate (11) and the substrate (11) tends to expand. However, a stress caused by a difference in a thermal expansion coefficient between the substrate (11) and the functional layer (14) is absorbed by the low-temperature softening layer (12), so that no cracks and peeling occurs in the functional layer (14). The low-temperature softening layer (12) is preferably made of a polymeric material containing an acrylic resin.

Abstract: For manufacturing a semiconductor device, such as thin-film solar battery, comprising a base body made of an organic high polymer material, an oxide electrode film and semiconductor thin film each containing at least one kind of group IV elements on the oxide electrode film, one of the semiconductor thin films in contact with the oxide electrode film is stacked by sputtering in a non-reducing atmosphere such as atmosphere not containing hydrogen gas, for example. Thereby, it is ensured that granular products as large as and beyond 3 nm are not contained substantially at the interface between the oxide electrode film and that semiconductor thin film. Therefore, a semiconductor thin film such as amorphous semiconductor thin film can be stacked with enhanced adherence on a plastic substrate having an oxide electrode film like ITO film on its surface.

Abstract: For manufacturing a semiconductor device, such as thin-film solar battery, comprising a base body made of an organic high polymer material, an oxide electrode film and semiconductor thin film each containing at least one kind of group IV elements on the oxide electrode film, one of the semiconductor thin films in contact with the oxide electrode film is stacked by sputtering in a non-reducing atmosphere such as atmosphere not containing hydrogen gas, for example. Thereby, it is ensured that granular products as large as and beyond 3 nm are not contained substantially at the interface between the oxide electrode film and that semiconductor thin film. Therefore, a semiconductor thin film such as amorphous semiconductor thin film can be stacked with enhanced adherence on a plastic substrate having an oxide electrode film like ITO film on its surface.