North American Philips Corporation

Andre M Martinez

Helmut Baumgart

Subramanian Ramesh

Ranjana Pandya

An improved technique for forming silicon-on insulator films for use in integrated circuits. The technique provides an improved encapsulation layer to enable in a reproducible way the zone melt recrystallization of such films. The encapsulation layer consists of a first layer of a doped SiO.sub.2 (silicate glass) on which a further layer of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 is deposited. The doped SiO.sub.2 forms a fusible glassy material which is rendered semi-liquid and flows at the temperatures used in recrystallization. The softening of the encapsulation material accommodates volume expansion and eliminates the biaxial stresses in the layered structure. The Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 layer adds mechanical strength to the SiO.sub.2 layer and improves the wetting angle.

Method of forming improved encapsulation layer

A capped recrystallizable silicon layer covering a substrate is provided with a thin buffer layer between the capping layer and the silicon layer. This recrystallizable silicon layer is then converted to a monocrystalline silicon layer.

Monocrystalline silicon layers on substrates

A structure comprising thin defect-free monocrystalline layer of a silicon of an insulating layer is produced from a structure comprising a thin recrystallizable layer of silicon on an insulating layer by use of a low softening point insulating layer, scanning the structure relative to a zone heater the beams of which are focused on the recrystallizable silicon layer so as to form a melt zone having a convex solid-liquid interface in the silicon layer while forming a liquid area under the melt zone in the insulating layer.

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Wappingers Falls, NY, United States of America

Andre M Martinez