Method for producing a single-crystalline layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9777393-B2
Application number	US-201314415980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2013
Priority date	Jul 17, 2012
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

Process for fabricating a thin single-crystalline layer n, including steps of: a) providing a support substrate n, b) placing a seed sample n, c) depositing a thin layer n so as to form an initial interface region n including a proportion of seed sample n and a proportion of thin layer n, the proportion of seed sample n decreasing from the first peripheral part n towards the second peripheral part n, e) providing an energy input to the initial interface region n contiguous to the first peripheral part n so as to liquefy a portion n of the thin layer and form a solid/liquid interface region n, and f) gradually moving the energy input away from the seed sample n so as to solidify the portion n so as to gradually move the solid/liquid interface region n.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a thin single-crystalline layer n, the method comprising the steps of:
a) providing a support substrate comprising a planar surface,
b) placing a seed sample n in single-crystalline material exhibiting a crystalline information, on the planar surface, n being an integer different from zero,
c) depositing a thin layer n on the planar surface such as to form an initial interface region n comprising a proportion of seed sample n and a proportion of thin layer n, the initial interface region n being framed on either side, and in parallel with the planar surface, of a first peripheral part n comprising only the seed sample n and a second peripheral part n comprising only the thin layer n, the proportion of seed sample n according to the axis perpendicular to the planar surface, decreasing from the first peripheral part n towards the second peripheral part n, the initial interface region n constituting the totality of the contact surface between the seed sample n and the thin layer n,
e) providing an energy input to the initial interface region n contiguous to the first peripheral part n such that the energy is locally absorbed by the thin layer n in order to locally liquefy a portion n of the thin layer n, the initial interface region n substantially becoming a solid-liquid interface region n, and
f) ensuring a relative displacement of the energy input and the support substrate, in parallel with the planar surface, by gradually moving the energy input and seed sample n away in order to solidify the portion n, which has been previously liquefied upstream of the energy input, according to the crystalline information of the seed sample n and in such a manner as to gradually move the solid-liquid interface region n within the thin layer n.

2. The producing method according to claim 1 , wherein the step a) comprises a step of forming a buffer layer n on the planar surface of the support substrate and on which the thin layer n is deposited, the buffer layer n exhibiting an amorphous material at the interface with the thin layer n.

3. The producing method according to claim 1 , wherein the step c) consists in depositing the thin layer n in the form of an amorphous material.

4. The producing method according to claim 1 , wherein the thin layer n is formed of a semi-conductor material.

5. The producing method according to claim 1 , wherein the energy input is achieved by means of at least one source of radiation.

6. The producing method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises between the step c) and the step e) a step d) consisting in depositing and arranging a confining layer n on the thin layer n in such a manner as to isolate the thin layer n from the atmosphere and promote the propagation of the crystalline information.

7. The producing method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the steps consisting in:
g) forming a buffer layer n+1 on the thin layer n in such a manner that the surface opposite the thin layer n of the buffer layer n+1 exhibits an amorphous material,
h) placing a seed sample n+1 on the buffer layer n+1,
i) depositing a thin amorphous layer n+1 on the buffer layer n+1, the buffer layer n+1 exhibiting an amorphous material at the interface with the thin layer n+1 such as to form an initial interface region n+1 with the seed sample n+1, the initial interface region n+1 comprising a proportion of seed sample n+1 and a proportion of thin layer n+1, the initial interface region n+1 being framed on either side and parallel with the planar surface, of a first peripheral part n+1 comprising only the seed sample n+1 and a second peripheral part n+1 comprising only the thin layer n+1, the proportion of seed sample n+1 along the axis perpendicular to the planar surface, decreasing from the first peripheral part n+1 towards the second peripheral part n+1,
j) providing an energy input to the initial interface region n+1 contiguous to the first peripheral part n+1 in such a manner that the energy is locally absorbed by the thin layer n+1 in order to liquefy locally a portion n+1 of the thin layer n+1, the initial interface region n+1 substantially becoming a solid-liquid interface region n+1, and
k) ensuring a relative displacement of the energy input and the support substrate parallel with the planar surface by gradually moving the energy input and the seed sample n+1 away in order to solidify the portion n+1, which has been previously liquefied upstream of the energy input, according to the crystalline information of the seed sample n+1 and in such a manner as to gradually displace the solid-liquid interface region n+1 within the thin layer n+1.

8. The producing method according to claim 7 , wherein the step i) comprises the deposition of a confining layer n+1 on the thin layer n+1.

9. The producing method according to claim 7 , wherein the seed sample n+1 is formed by the seed sample n.

10. The producing method according to claim 7 , wherein the thin layer n+1 is formed of a material which is different from the material of the thin layer n.

11. The producing method according to claim 7 , wherein the producing method comprises a step l) consisting in repeating the steps h) to k), the integer n being incremented by a unit.

12. The producing method according to claim 8 , wherein the method comprises between the step c) and the step e) a step d) consisting in depositing and arranging a confining layer n on the thin layer n in such a manner as to isolate the thin layer n from the atmosphere and promote the propagation of the crystalline information, and wherein the buffer layer n+1 is formed by the confining layer n and in that the surface opposite the thin layer n+1 of the buffer layer n+1 exhibits an amorphous material.

13. The producing method according to claim 1 , wherein the thin layer n comprises first and second initial interface regions n with the seed sample n and in that the steps e) to f) are achieved on the first initial interface region n in such a manner as to crystallize a first part of the thin layer n and form an extension of the seed sample n in the continuity of the second initial interface region n, then the steps respectively e) to f) are achieved on the second initial interface region n extended by the first crystallized part of the thin layer n in such a manner as to crystallize a second part of the thin layer n complementary to the first part.

14. The producing method according to claim 1 , wherein the step c) comprises the deposition of a thin layer n comprising doping species, achieving steps e) and f) leading to electrically activate at least part of the doping species of the thin layer n.

15. The producing method according to claim 1 , wherein the step c) comprises a step of implanting doping species in the thin layer n achieving steps e) and f) leading to electrically activate at least part of the doping species of the thin layer n.

16. The producing method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises a step m) after the step f) consisting in carrying out collective surface treatments on the thin layer n.

17. The producing method according to claim 1 , wherein the step a) comprises a step consisting in providing a flexible substrate wound around itself in such a manner as to exhibit a general roller shape, followed by a step consisting in at least partially unwinding the flexible substrate in such a manner as to provide the support substrate comprising the planar surface.

18. The producing method according to claim 17 , wherein the method comprises a step n)

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Benaissa Lamine

Classifications

• H10P14/3816

  Pulsed laser beam · CPC title

• H10P14/3411

  Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium · CPC title

• H10P14/3238 Primary

  being insulating materials · CPC title

• H10P14/382

  Scanning of a beam · CPC title

• H10P14/381

  Beam shaping, e.g. using a mask · CPC title