Abstract: A single crystal and a polycrystal having an excellent crystal quality and providing a highly reliable semiconductor device are formed by solid phase growth at low temperatures. An amorphous thin film is deposited on a substrate such that an average inter-atomic distance of main constituent element of the amorphous thin film is 1.02 times or more of an average inter-atomic distance of the elements in single crystal, and crystallization energy is applied to the amorphous thin film to perform solid phase growth to thereby form a single crystal.

Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor film, includes the steps of: (a) forming an amorphous semiconductor film on a substrate having a surface with an insulating property; (b) introducing a material for accelerating crystallization of the amorphous semiconductor film into at least a part of the amorphous semiconductor film; (c) crystallizing the amorphous semiconductor film by heating to obtain a crystalline semiconductor film from the amorphous semiconductor film; and (d) oxidizing a surface of the crystalline semiconductor film to form a semiconductor oxide film containing a part of the material for accelerating the crystallization on the surface of the crystalline semiconductor film.

Abstract: A method of forming a polycrystalline silicon thin film improved in crystallinity and a channel of a transistor superior in electrical characteristics by the use of such a polycrystalline silicon thin film. An amorphous silicon layer of a thickness preferably of 30 nm to 50 nm is formed on a substrate. Next, substrate heating is performed to set the amorphous silicon layer to preferably 350.degree. C. to 500.degree. C., more preferably 350.degree. C. to 450.degree. C. Then, at least the amorphous silicon layer is irradiated with laser light of an excimer laser energy density of 100 mJ/cm.sup.2 to 500 mJ/cm.sup.2, preferably 280 mJ/cm.sup.2 to 330 mJ/cm.sup.2, and a pulse width of 80 ns to 200 ns, preferably 140 ns to 200 ns, so as to directly anneal the amorphous silicon layer and form a polycrystalline silicon thin film. The total energy of the laser used for the irradiation of excimer laser light is at least 5 J, preferably at least 10 J.

Abstract: After a pattern is transferred on silicon film crystallized by annealing, the silicon film is annealed by radiation of intense rays for a short time. Especially, in the crystallizing process by annealing, an element which promotes crystallization such as nickel is doped therein. The area not crystallized by annealing is also crystallized by radiation of intense rays and a condensed silicon film is formed. After a metal element which promotes crystallization is doped, annealing by light for a short time is performed by radiating intense rays onto the silicon film crystallized by annealing in an atmosphere containing halide. After the surface of the silicon film is oxidized by heating or by radiating intense rays in a halogenated atmosphere and an oxide film is formed on the silicon film, the oxide film is then etched. As a result, nickel in the silicon film is removed.

Abstract: A process for producing high-purity silicon for solar cells continuously directly from inexpensive silicon containing a comparatively large amount of impurities. This process comprises melting continuously supplied raw material silicon in a bottomless crucible placed in an induction coil, while blowing a hot plasma gas incorporated with an oxygen-containing substance on the surface of the melt for purification, and continuously discharging the solidified silicon downward from said bottomless crucible, with at least an axial part of said bottomless crucible being divided into a plurality of electrically conductive pieces spaced circumferentially.

Abstract: In the first laser beam radiation, a laser beam having a predetermined energy density is scanned on each of predetermined unit irradiated regions at a scanning pitch smaller than the beam size, and in the second laser beam radiation, a laser beam having an energy density lower than that of the laser beam of the first radiation is scanned at a scanning pitch smaller than the beam size on each of unit irradiated regions different from those of the first laser beam radiation.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor thin film by crystallizing a thin film crystal from an amorphous thin film. A plurality of small regions which are preferentially made nuclei generation points are formed at predetermined positions in the amorphous thin film. Solid phase growth from single nuclei formed in the small regions is preferentially effected by heating to form a crystalline semiconductor thin film in which the grain boundary positions are adjusted to the desired positions. This crystalline semiconductor thin film is subjected to a heat treatment to reduce defects in crystal grains.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor apparatus in which a single-crystalline thin film can be formed on a semiconductor substrate at a low temperature not higher than 800.degree. C. and a method of manufacturing such a semiconductor apparatus. In this semiconductor apparatus and the manufacturing method thereof, a silane gas is supplied onto a single-crystalline silicon substrate under condition of a temperature not higher than approximately 540.degree. C. and an amorphous silicon thin film is formed on a surface of the silicon substrate. At the same time, the amorphous silicon thin film is single-crystallized to form a single crystal silicon thin film, and single crystal silicon thin films are successively epitaxially grown. This enables those single crystal silicon thin films to be formed directly on the surface of the single-crystalline silicon substrate at a temperature lower than or equal to 800.degree. C.

Abstract: Method of fabricating TFTs starts with forming a nickel film selectively on a bottom layer which is formed on a substrate. An amorphous silicon film is formed on the nickel film and heated to crystallize it. The crystallized film is irradiated with infrared light to anneal it. Thus, a crystalline silicon film having excellent crystailinity is obtained. TFTs are built, using this crystalline silicon film.

Abstract: A method for producing a perovskite composition from a precursor composition wherein the precursor composition is irradiated with microwaves to heat the precursor composition and convert the precursor composition to perovskite. A susceptor crucible for use in processing a perovskite precursor composition. The susceptor crucible has an inner crucible, an outer crucible surrounding said inner crucible, and a susceptor material positioned between and separating the inner and outer crucibles.

Abstract: A crystal article comprises a substrate having an insulating amorphous surface and monocrystal formed on the substrate. The monocrystal is formed by providing a primary seed in the form of a film with an area 100 .mu.m.sup.2 or less arranged in a desired pattern on the surface of the substrate acting as a non-nucleation surface with a small nucleation density, then subjecting the primary seed to thermal treatment to convert it to a monocrystalline seed, and subsequently subjecting the monocrystalline seed to crystal growth treatment to allow a monocrystal to grow beyond the monocrystalline seed and cover the non-nucleation surface.

Abstract: A silicon-on insulator film (38) is formed by solid phase epitaxial re-growth. A layer of amorphous silicon (36) is formed such that it is only in direct contact with an underlying portion of a silicon substrate (12). The layer of amorphous silicon (36) is subsequently annealed to form a monocrystalline layer of epitaxial silicon (38). Because the amorphous silicon layer (36) is in contact with only the silicon substrate (12), during the re-growth process, the resulting epitaxial layer (38) is formed with a reduced number of crystal defects. The resulting epitaxial silicon layer (38) may then be used to form semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A lower capacitor electrode is formed on the basic plate 1, and thereafter a ferroelectric film, for example, a PZT film having the Pb is formed. ITO, RuO2, SnO2 which are Pt or oxide conductive material are formed as a cap layer into 200 .ANG. or more in film thickness by a sputtering method or silicone oxide film or the like are formed with 200A or more in film thickness by a thermal CVD method. Thereafter, a thermal operating operation is effected. By the prevention of the Pb from being evaporated at the thermal processing time, the elaborate ferroelectric film of stoichiometrical perovskite construction can be formed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of making a thin film transistor for driving a liquid crystal display comprising the steps of forming a gate electrode on a glass substrate and forming an insulating layer and an amorphous silicon layer in turn on said glass substrate and said gate electrode, and scanning laser beams on the surface of said amorphous silicon layer with the end portions of the respective scanned laser beams being overlapped. According to the method of making a thin film transistor for driving a liquid crystal display of the present invention, a thin film transistor suitable for HDTV, the field effect mobility of which is high, is achieved. Further, in making a thin film transistor, a separate processing step is not required and the number of processing steps can be reduced because constructional features of a TFT are utilized.

Abstract: After partially crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor deposited on a substrate, the irradition of infrared ray is conducted to grow a polycrystalline semiconductor layer on the crystallized region and the amorphous region by thermal decomposition while the temperature of the crystallized region is kept higher than that of the amorphous region. Since the polycystalline layer is formed of polycystalline grains grown from nuclei of the cystallized region, the crystal grain thereof is large.

Abstract: A method of epitaxially growing semiconductor crystal by which a single crystal region which is superior in quality can be selectively formed at a high throughput without employing the lithography technique. A shield mask is formed on an upper face of an amorphous semiconductor layer formed on substrate, and excimer laser light is irradiated upon the amorphous semiconductor layer using the shield mask to produce, in the amorphous semiconductor layer, a core from which crystal is to be grown. After the shield mask is removed, low temperature solid phase annealing processing for the amorphous semiconductor layer is performed to grow crystal from the core to form a single crystal region in the amorphous semiconductor layer. Alternatively, the silicon core is formed by irradiating an energy beam, which is capable of being converged into a thin beam and being used to directly draw a picture, at a predetermined position of the amorphous silicon film.

Abstract: A process for crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor by irradiating a laser beam thereto, which comprises thermally annealing the amorphous semiconductor prior to the crystallization thereof in vacuum or in an inactive gas atmosphere at a temperature not higher than the crystallization temperature of the amorphous semiconductor, and then irradiating a laser beam to the thermally annealed amorphous semiconductor in vacuum or in an inactive gas atmosphere to crystallize the amorphous semiconductor. The process provides a uniform polycrystalline silicon film having high crystallinity, which has less dependence on the energy density of the laser beam which is irradiated thereto for crystallization, and hence useful for thin film devices such as insulated gate field effect transistors.

Abstract: A process for growing a crystalline thin film comprises forming a crystalline region comprising a single crystal-nucleus or crystal-grain at a predetermined position of an amorphous thin film, then implanting ions of at least one element constituting the amorphous thin film into a region other than the crystalline region and thereafter carrying out heat treatment to have the crystal-nucleus or crystal-grain grown along the plane direction of the amorphous thin film, thereby crystallizing the amorphous film by solid phase growth.