Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising at least one semiconductor device which has a body portion of semiconductive crystalline silicon material, wherein the silicon crystalline material is formed by depositing a layer on a substrate and annealing at least a part of the layer with an energy beam, which method is characterised in that the layer is deposited as an insulating non-stoichiometric compound material of silicon alloyed with at least one other element, and in that at least a part of the insulating non-stoichiometric compound material is converted into the semiconductive crystalline silicon material by heating that part with the energy beam.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further characterised in that a first area of the deposited layer is annealed with the energy beam to provide the semiconductive crystalline silicon material for the semiconductive device, and in that a second area of the deposited layer is not subjected to the energy beam and is retained on the substrate as insulating non-stoichiometric compound material in the manufactured electronic device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, further characterised in that the second area is provided with two electrodes to form a MIM-type switching device on the substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
77 words
A method as claimed in claim 3, further characterised in that an array of the MIM-type switching devices is formed on the substrate and is connected to driving circuits also formed on the substrate, in that the MIM-type switching devices are formed with the insulating non-stoichiometric compound material, and in that the driving circuits comprise a plurality of the semiconductor devices having body portions of the semiconductive crystalline silicon material formed by annealing with the energy beam.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
62 words
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the energy beam is of a wavelength having an absorption depth in the deposited layer which is so much less than the thickness of the deposited layer that the insulating non-stoichiometric compound material is converted into semiconductive crystalline silicon material over only a part of its thickness.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method as claimed in claim 5, further characterised in that the semiconductor device is a thin-film transistor having a gate which is formed on the substrate before depositing the layer, in that the semiconductive crystalline silicon material provides a channel region of the transistor, and in that an unconverted part of the insulating non-stoichiometric compound material provides at least a part of a gate insulator between the underlying gate and the overlying channel region.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as claimed in claim 6, further characterised in that, before depositing the layer of insulating non-stoichiometric compound material, an insulating layer is formed on the gate so as to provide a part of the gate insulator of the transistor.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
58 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, further characterised in that an underlying unconverted part of the insulating non-stoichiometric compound material provides an interface between the semiconductive crystalline silicon material and the substrate, and in that the semiconductor device has at least one electrode which is provided on the semiconductive crystalline silicon material.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in anyone of claims 5 to 8, further characterised in that the energy beam is of an ultraviolet wavelength generated by an excimer laser.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the insulating compound material is selected from the group of non-stoichiometric silicon nitride, non-stoichiometric silicon oxynitride, and non-stoichiometric silicon carbide.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the insulating compound material is deposited with a hydrogen content, part of which is retained in the crystalline silicon material.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the semiconductor device is a thin-film transistor having a control electrode for controlling current flow through a part of the body portion of the semiconductive crystalline silicon material.