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:
Nov. 04, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 11, 2002
Apostolos T. Voutsas, Vancouver, WA (US);
John W. Hartzell, Camas, WA (US);
Masahiro Adachi, Vancouver, WA (US);
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc., Camas, WA (US);
Abstract
A method for is provided forming a thin-film transistor (TFT) on a flexible substrate. The method comprises: supplying a metal foil substrate such as titanium (Ti), Inconel alloy, stainless steel, or Kovar, having a thickness in the range of 10 to 500 microns; depositing and annealing amorphous silicon to form polycrystalline silicon; and, thermally growing a gate insulation film overlying the polycrystalline. The silicon annealing process can be conducted at a temperature greater than 700 degrees C. using a solid-phase crystallization (SPC) annealing process. Thermally growing a gate insulation film includes: forming a polycrystalline silicon layer having a thickness in the range of 10 to 100 nanometers (nm); and, thermally oxidizing the film at temperature in the range of 900 to 1150 degrees for a period of time in the range of 2 to 60 minutes. Alternately, a plasma oxide layer is deposited over a thinner thermally oxidized layer.