The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 15, 1997
Filed:
May. 26, 1994
Masaki Hara, Kanagawa, JP;
Naoki Sano, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiyuki Sameshima, Kanagawa, JP;
Atsushi Kohno, Kanagawa, JP;
Mitsunobu Sekiya, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasuhiro Kanaya, Kanagawa, JP;
Michihisa Yano, Kanagawa, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A method and an apparatus for fabricating a thin film semiconductor device are disclosed. An a-Si:H thin film produced on a wafer is melting-recrystallized by irradiating a laser beam to it in a laser annealing chamber to produce a polycrystalline Si thin film. The wafer is then transported to a CVD chamber without exposing it to the outside air. A gate insulating film is produced on a clean surface of the polycrystalline Si thin film in the CVD chamber. In another case, an a-Si:H thin film is melting-recrystallized in the laser annealing chamber to produce a polycrystalline Si thin film and then the wafer is transported to a hydrogenating chamber without exposing it to the outside air. Thereafter the polycrystalline Si thin film is plasma hydrogenated in the hydrogenating chamber. The method and apparatus can fabricate thin film semiconductor devices having a high performance and a high reliability with a good uniformity by making a clean and high quality semiconductor/insulator interface or by hydrogenating a semiconductor thin film without changes in electrical conductivity.