Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor thin film is provided, comprising: forming an insulation layer on a semiconductor substrate; etching the insulation layer to form a plurality of openings exposing the substrate at the bottom of the openings; filling the openings with a semiconductor seed layer; forming an amorphous layer on the seed layer and the insulation layer; transforming the amorphous layer to a polycrystalline layer by exposing the amorphous layer to a first laser irradiation at a first energy level; and forming a single semiconductor crystalline film by annealing the polycrystalline layer and the semiconductor seed layer with a second laser irradiation at a second energy level.

Abstract: In some methods of fabricating a silicon-on-insulator substrate, a semiconductor substrate is provided that includes a single crystalline structure within at least a defined region thereof. A first insulating film is formed on the defined region of the semiconductor substrate with an opening that exposes a portion of the defined region of the semiconductor substrate having the single crystalline structure. A first non-single crystalline film is formed on the exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate and that at least substantially fills the opening in the first insulating film. A laser beam is generated that heats the first non-single crystalline film to change the first non-single crystalline film into a first single crystalline film having substantially the same single crystalline structure as the defined region of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a multilevel semiconductor integrated circuit is provided, comprising: forming on a first active semiconductor structure a first plurality of transistors with respective gate structures disposed on a first substrate and source or drain regions disposed within the first substrate; depositing a first insulation layer on the first substrate and the gate structures; etching the insulation layer to form a plurality of openings exposing portions of the first substrate contacting the bottoms of the openings; forming a semiconductor seed layer filling the openings; forming an amorphous layer on the seed layer and the insulation layer; subjecting the first active semiconductor structure to at least one application of laser irradiation to transform the amorphous layer to a crystalline semiconductor layer having a protrusion region with a peak at or near the middle of two adjacent openings; forming on a second active semiconductor structure a second plurality of transistors with respective gate s

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor thin film is provided, comprising: forming an insulation layer on a semiconductor substrate; etching the insulation layer to form a plurality of openings exposing the substrate at the bottom of the openings; filling the openings with a semiconductor seed layer; forming an amorphous layer on the seed layer and the insulation layer; transforming the amorphous layer to a polycrystalline layer by exposing the amorphous layer to a first laser irradiation at a first energy level; and forming a single semiconductor crystalline film by annealing the polycrystalline layer and the semiconductor seed layer with a second laser irradiation at a second energy level.

Abstract: A haptic device for human/computer interface includes a user interface tool coupled via cables to first, second, third, and fourth cable control units, each positioned at a vertex of a tetrahedron. Each of the cable control units includes a spool and an encoder configured to provide a signal corresponding to rotation of the respective spool. The cables are wound onto the spool of a respective one of the cable control units. The encoders provide signals corresponding to rotation of the respective spools to track the length of each cable. As the cables wind onto the spools, variations in spool diameter are compensated for. The absolute length of each cable is determined during initialization by retracting each cable In turn to a zero length position. A sensor array coupled to the tool detects rotation around one or more axes.