Laser Fabrication of Silicon on Dielectric Substrates

The growth of device-worthy silicon crystals on insulating substrates would have a revolutionary impact upon microelectronics, and is consequently the object of intense effort. This article reviews recent progress in the application of laser and electron beams and incoherent light to this end. In every case, radiant energy is employed to melt a precursor material, from which device-worthy layers are produced during resolidification. Techniques include seeded and unseeded growth, partial and complete encapsulation of the liquid layer, and oscillation of the solid-liquid interface. Considerations of liquid zone stability, temperature gradient control, and interface morphological stability are central to each technique. Progress in this field has been rapid and several techniques have been successfully demonstrated.