Abstract: The present invention aims at providing an auxiliary heating device for a zone melting furnace and a heat preservation method for a single crystal rod thereof. The auxiliary heating device comprises an auxiliary heater disposed below a high-frequency heating coil inside the zone melting furnace and is formed by winding a hollow metal circular pipe. The winding start end of the auxiliary heater is positioned on the upper part, the winding stop end of the auxiliary heating device is positioned on the lower part, and an upper end part and a lower end part are respectively guided out from the both ends; and a hollow cylindrical heating load is disposed on the inner side of the auxiliary heater, and an insulation part is disposed between the heating load and the auxiliary heater. The present invention can solve the problem of single crystal rod cracking caused by unreasonable distribution of the thermal field and overlarge thermal stress in the growth process of zone-melted silicon single crystals over 6.5 inches.

Abstract: Permanent magnets are used for several important applications, including dc electrical motors, wind turbines, hybrid automobile, and for many other applications. Modern widely used rare-earth based permanent magnet materials, such as Sm—Co and Nd—Fe—B, are generally intermetallic alloys made from rare earth elements and transition metals such as cobalt. However, the high costs of rare earth elements make the widespread use of these permanent magnets commercially unattractive. The present work focuses on producing a new permanent magnet material, with good magnetic properties, which is free from rare-earth elements and thus cost-effective. The present invention provides a process to synthesis boron doped manganese antimonide as an alternative to rare earth based permanent magnet materials. The boron doped manganese antimonide disclosed in this invention is free from rare-earth element with good magnetic properties.

Abstract: An apparatus for growth of uniform multi-component single crystals is provided. The single crystal material has at least three elements and has a diameter of at least 50 mm, a dislocation density of less than 100 cm?2 and a radial compositional variation of less than 1%.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the growth of a crystalline solid by inching then cooling a crystallization material (2), in which the crystallization material (2) spread over a support is melted in the operating region (4) of a heat source. According to this process: outside of the operating region, the crystallization material (2) is spread over at least two areas of different compositions (31, 32, 33, 34, 33), and the crystallization material (2) being spread over a length greater than the length of the operating region (4), a movement of the operating region (4) relative to the crystallization material (2) is carried out so as to place successively in the operating region (4) then outside of the operating region, portions of the crystallization material of different compositions. This process is used to manufacture laser crystals having a controlled spatial distribution of doping.

Abstract: An apparatus to pump a melt is disclosed. The pump has a chamber that defines a cavity configured to hold the melt. A gas source is in fluid communication with the chamber. A first valve is between the chamber and a first pipe and a second valve is between the chamber and a second pipe. The valves may be check valves in one embodiment.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing an optical element using a garnet single crystal for the purpose of providing an optical element with a reduced Pb content or from which Pb can preliminarily be removed completely. By growing a garnet single crystal by using a solution containing Na, Bi and B by the LPE process and thermally treating the garnet single crystal in reducing atmosphere prepared by using nitrogen gas and/or hydrogen gas, the resulting thermally treated garnet single crystal is used to prepare an optical element.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a method for providing polycrystalline films having a controlled microstructure as well as a crystallographic texture. The methods provide elongated grains or single-crystal islands of a specified crystallographic orientation. In particular, a method of processing a film on a substrate includes generating a textured film having crystal grains oriented predominantly in one preferred crystallographic orientation; and then generating a microstructure using sequential lateral solidification crystallization that provides a location-controlled growth of the grains orientated in the preferred crystallographic orientation.

Abstract: A method for crystallizing silicon is provided. The method includes: forming an amorphous silicon layer on a substrate; aligning a mask above the substrate, the mask being divided into a plurality of blocks, each block having at least two transmission patterns, the transmission patterns of one block and the transmission patterns of another adjacent block being complimentary with each other and the mask including at least two diffraction patterns disposed between the transmission patterns; forming a first crystallization region on the amorphous silicon layer by irradiating a laser beam through the transmission patterns of the mask; and displacing the substrate or the mask by a predetermined distance and irradiating a laser beam onto the substrate to recrystallize the crystallization region using the laser beam that passes through the diffraction patterns, and forming a second crystallization region using the laser beam that passes through the transmission patterns.

Abstract: A process and system for processing a thin film sample, as well as the thin film structure are provided. In particular, a beam generator can be controlled to emit successive irradiation beam pulses at a predetermined repetition rate. Each irradiation beam pulse may be masked to define a first plurality of beamlets and a second plurality of beamlets. The first and second plurality of beamlets of each of the irradiation pulses being provided for impinging the film sample and having an intensity which is sufficient to at least partially melt irradiated portions of the section of the film sample. A particular portion of the section of the film sample is irradiated with the first beamlets of a first pulse of the irradiated beam pulses to melt first areas of the particular portion, the first areas being at least partially melted, leaving first unirradiated regions between respective adjacent ones of the first areas, and being allowed to resolidify and crystallize.

Abstract: A crystalline semiconductor film, the crystalline semiconductor film being formed over an insulative substrate, and including semiconductor crystal grains laterally grown along a surface of the insulative substrate, wherein the laterally-grown semiconductor crystal grains are in contact with each other at grain boundaries, and a distance between adjacent grain boundaries is equal to or smaller than two times a lateral growth distance of the semiconductor crystal grains.

Abstract: Monolithic stacked/layered room-temperature-processed materials whose internal crystalline structures are laser modification to create arrays of mechanical, and combined mechanical and electrical, devices with precision-established properties, such as important mechanical properties. Methodology and system configurations are disclosed.

Abstract: Thin-film laser-effected internal crystalline structure modified materials suitable for the creation of various small-dimension mechanical devices, either singly or in monolithic arrays, such as MEMS devices. Processing is carried out at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: Laser processing of various materials to create mechanical devices whose internal mechanical properties are provided in final useable form by adjustments made in internal crystalline structure.

Abstract: A single-crystal structure is grown using free-form fabrication through principles of directional solidification and direct-deposition techniques. The structure is formed from a metallic alloy by building from feedstock on top of and upward from a heated base element. The top of the structure is also heated with a scanning beam as it is built. The higher temperatures near the melting alloy tend to promote crystal growth rather than nucleation as the grain grows toward the heat of the scanning beam. This allows a two-dimensional thermal gradient to be formed in the build direction, which allows the solid crystal to maintain one orientation during the deposition process. As the material initially solidifies, it nucleates off of a desired grain that is designated by a grain selector. This method eliminates the need for expensive mold cavities and segmented furnaces that are typically required by prior art processes for producing some components.

Abstract: A method is provided for maintaining a planar surface as crystal grains are laterally grown in the fabrication of crystallized silicon films. The method comprises: forming a film of amorphous silicon with a surface and a plurality of areas; irradiating each adjacent areas of the silicon film with a first sequence of laser pulses; and, in response to the first sequence of laser pulses, controlling the planarization of the silicon film surface between adjacent areas of the silicon film as the crystal grains are laterally grown. By controlling the number of laser pulses in the sequence, the temporal separation between pulses, and the relative intensity of the pulses, the lateral growth length characteristics of the crystal grains can be traded against the silicon film flatness. A silicon film formed by a pulsed laser sequence crystallization process is also provided.

Abstract: Amorphous or polycrystalline films have been recrystallized into single-crystal thin films (of micrometer thickness) by a zone melting technique, in which an electrically heated wire generated a narrow heated or molten zone (0.5-2 mm wide) on the substrate sandwiched between two pieces of glass or indium-tin-oxide-coated glass. The substrate can be either an organic or inorganic compound. When the molten zone was moved slowly (3-120 ?m/min) across the layer from one end of the cell to the other, a single-crystal film was produced after a single pass. This technique allows for thin film purification and an improvement in electronic, optical, and optoelectronic properties of the thin film. After this treatment, the steady-state short-circuit photocurrent can be improved by several orders of magnitude. These films are useful in the fields of optics and electronics for improving the performance in devices such as thin-film transistors and organic light-emitting diodes.

Abstract: A polycrystal thin film forming method comprising the step of forming a semiconductor thin film on a substrate 14, and the step of flowing a heated gas to the semiconductor thin film while an energy beam 38 is being applied to the semiconductor thin film at a region to which the gas is being applied to thereby melt the semiconductor film, and crystallizing the semiconductor thin film in its solidification. The energy beam is applied while the high-temperature gas is being flowed, whereby the melted semiconductor thin film can have low solidification rate, whereby the polycrystal thin film can have large crystal grain diameters and can have good quality of little defects in crystal grains and little twins.

Abstract: A method is provided for maintaining a planar surface as crystal grains are laterally grown in the fabrication of crystallized silicon films. The method comprises: forming a film of amorphous silicon with a surface and a plurality of areas; irradiating each adjacent areas of the silicon film with a first sequence of laser pulses; and, in response to the first sequence of laser pulses, controlling the planarization of the silicon film surface between adjacent areas of the silicon film as the crystal grains are laterally grown. By controlling the number of laser pulses in the sequence, the temporal separation between pulses, and the relative intensity of the pulses, the lateral growth length characteristics of the crystal grains can be traded against the silicon film flatness. A silicon film formed by a pulsed laser sequence crystallization process is also provided.

Abstract: A method is provided to produce thin polycrystalline films having a single predominant crystal orientation. The method is well suited to the production of films for use in production of thin film transistors (TFTs). A layer of amorphous silicon is deposited over a substrate to a thickness suitable for producing a desired crystal orientation. Lateral-seeded excimer laser annealing (LS-ELA) is used to crystallize the amorphous silicon to form a film with a preferred crystal orientation. The crystallized film is then polished to a desired thickness for subsequent processing.

Abstract: A rotational directional solidification crystal growth system includes a vertical furnace, a crucible, and a rotate support device. The vertical furnace contains a high-temperature portion and a low-temperature portion. The crucible has a seed well and a growth region. The seed well and the growth region contain a seed crystal and raw material, respectively. The crucible moves from the high-temperature portion of the furnace to the low-temperature portion of the furnace or the thermal profile moves related to a stationary crucible to proceed the crystal growth. The rotation support device supports and rotates the crucible, and the tangent velocity of the rotated crucible is no less than about 5&pgr;/3 cm/s.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for locally and successively melting a material by induction heating using a horizontal floating-zone crucible to refine and/or analyze the material. An electromagnetic field is generated to create a localized molten zone within the material that is at least partially levitated within the crucible. The crucible has an upper peripheral opening so that an upper portion of the molten zone is generally at a higher temperature than the lower portion of the molten zone adjacent the crucible wall. As a result, insoluble inclusions within the material separate and float to the upper portion of the molten zone. The molten zone may be translated longitudinally through the material to drive the inclusions toward one end of the material. The process can be carried out to refine or characterize the material, or to determine the solidus and liquidus temperatures of the material.

Abstract: A method of crystallizing an amorphous silicon layer on a substrate includes the steps of irradiating the amorphous silicon layer by a laser beam positioned over the amorphous silicon layer and having a predetermined repeat rate, while simultaneously partially heating the laser-irradiated part of the amorphous silicon layer upwardly with an RTP, thus crystallizing the amorphous silicon by a laser without damaging the glass substrate by a high temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus for zone-melting recrystallization of a semiconductor layer includes a first heater, on which a semiconductor wafer including the semiconductor layer and upper and lower insulating films sandwiching the semiconductor layer is mounted, for radiantly heating a rear surface of the semiconductor wafer to a temperature at which the semiconductor layer and the insulating layers are not melted; and a second heater disposed above the semiconductor wafer and radiantly heating a front surface of the semiconductor wafer. The second heater has a heat generating point that produces a heated spot in the semiconductor layer and moves spirally while maintaining a fixed distance from the semiconductor wafer, thereby producing a large-area monocrystalline region in the semiconductor layer. In this zone-melting recrystallization, a single crystalline nucleus is produced in the semiconductor layer, and the entire semiconductor layer is recrystallized with the crystalline nucleus as a seed crystal.

Abstract: High purity semiconductor foils, such as silicon foils useful in solar energy cells, are produced by treating an impure semiconductor foil with at least one reactive gas while in the crystallizing state.