US4988641A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Graphotaxially forming a photosensitive detector array
Assignee: Grumman Corp
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Filing: 1989-10-10
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Granted: 1991-01-29
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Expires: 2009-10-10
Abstract
Abstract A polycrystalline or amorphous substrate having a single crystalline layer formed thereupon for making a photosensitive detector array and a method for forming the same are disclosed. The single crystalline layer is grown by graphotaxy, i.e. lateral epitaxy, upon the non-single crystalline substrate. A seed crystal of the material which will comprise the layer to be grown is embedded in the substrate. Graphotaxial growth occurs from the seed crystal and travels across the surface of the substrate. Various methods of obtaining graphotaxial growth are disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Allen L. Solomon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 17:27
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F71/00; H10F71/125; H10F71/1253; H10F30/00; H10F30/20; H10F30/21; H10F30/22; H10F30/221; H10F30/2212; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/107; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/16; H10F77/162; H10F77/164; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/27; H10P14/271; H10P14/274; H10P14/29; H10P14/2901; H10P14/2921; H10P14/32; H10P14/3202; H10P14/3238; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3424; H10P14/3432; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y10; Y10S; Y10S117/00; Y10S117/913
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for forming a single crystalline layer upon a non-single crystalline substrate, comprising the steps of: (a) depositing a glass layer upon the substrate; (b) placing a seed crystal of a single crystalline material of a first type upon the glass layer; (c) liquefying the glass layer so as to cause the seed crystal to sink into and be sealed to the glass layer; and (d) growing from the seed crystal a first layer of material of a first type graphotaxially across the surface of the glass layer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for forming a single crystalline layer upon a non-single crystalline substrate, comprising the steps of: (a) depositing a glass layer upon the substrate; (b) placing a seed crystal of a single crystalline material of a first type upon the glass layer; (c) liquefying the glass layer so as to cause the seed crystal to sink into and be sealed to the glass layer; and (d) growing from the seed crystal a first layer of material of a first type graphotaxially across the surface of the glass layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method recited in claim 1 wherein: (a) the step of depositing a glass layer upon a substrate comprises depositing a glass layer upon an alumina ceramic material; and (b) wherein the step of placing a seed crystal of a first type upon the glass utilizes a single crystalline surface of HgCdTe as the seed crystal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of forming vias through the substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method recited in claim 3 further comprising the step of depositing a metal film upon the glass layer to form electrodes and a conductive grid prior to growing the first layer of material of a first type graphotaxially across the surface of the glass layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method recited in claim 4 wherein the step of growing the first layer of material of a first type graphotaxially across the surface of the glass layer comprises the process of liquid epitaxy.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method recited in claim 4 wherein the step of growing the first layer of material of a first type graphotaxially across the surface of the glass layer comprises the process of vapor phase epitaxy.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method recited in claim 4 further comprising the step of forming a region of material of a second type in the regions substantially over the electrodes to create p-n junctions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method recited in claim 7 wherein the step of forming the regions of material of a second type comprises the process of masked deep ion implantation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method recited in claim 7 wherein the step of forming the regions of material of a second type comprises the process of counter doping through diffusion from the electrode material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
80 words
The method recited in claim 7 wherein the step of forming the regions of material of a second type comprises the process of ion implantation of the first layer of material of the first type to form regions of material of a second type and growing a second layer of material of the first type substantially over the first layer of material of the first type including the regions of material of a second type formed in the first layer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method recited in claim 7 wherein the step of forming the regions of material of a second type substantially over the electrodes comprises forming the first layer of material of a first type only in the regions substantially over the electrodes and then forming a second layer of material of a second type over substantially the entire surface of the substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of forming conductive vias extending from the electrodes through the substrate.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for forming a single crystalline material upon a non-single crystalline substrate comprising the steps of: (a) graphotaxially growing a first layer of material of a first type upon a first substrate; (b) cutting chips from the first substrate for use as seed chips; (c) embedding the seed chips in a cavity formed in a second substrate, the second substrate having a glass layer substantially covering its upper surface; and (d) growing a first layer of seed material of a first type graphotaxially across the surface of the second substrate.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for forming a single crystalline material upon a non-single crystalline substrate comprising the steps of: (a) graphotaxially growing a first layer of material of a first type upon a first substrate; (b) cutting chips from the first substrate for use as seed chips; (c) embedding the seed chips in a cavity formed in a second substrate, the second substrate having a glass layer substantially covering its upper surface; and (d) growing a first layer of seed material of a first type graphotaxially across the surface of the second substrate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method recited in claim 13 wherein: (a) the step of graphotaxially growing a first layer of material of a first type comprises graphotaxially growing a first layer of HgCdTe; and (b) the step of embedding the seed chip in a cavity formed in a second substrate comprises embedding the seed chip in an alumina ceramic material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method recited in claim 14 further comprising the step of forming vias through the substrate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method recited in claim 15 further comprising the step of depositing a metal film upon the glass layer of the second substrate to form electrodes and a conductive grid prior to growing the first layer of material of a first type graphotaxially across the surface of the glass layer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method recited in claim 16 wherein the step of growing the layer of seed material of a first type graphotaxially across the surface of the glass layer comprises the process of liquid epitaxy.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method recited in claim 16 wherein the step of growing the layer of seed material of a first type graphotaxially across the surface of the glass layer comprises the process of vapor phase epitaxy.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method recited in claim 16 further comprising the step of forming a region of material of a second type in the regions substantially over the electrodes to create p-n junctions.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method recited in claim 19 wherein the step of forming the regions of material of a second type substantially over the electrodes comprises the process of masked deep ion implantation.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method recited in claim 19 wherein the step of forming the regions of material of a second type substantially over the electrodes comprises the process of counter doping the layer by diffusion from the electrode material.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
85 words
The method as recited in claim 19 wherein the step of forming the regions of material of a second type substantially over the electrodes comprises the process of ion implantation of the first layer of material of the first type to form regions of material of the second type and the growing of a second layer of material of the first type substantially over the first layer of material of a first type including the regions of a second type formed in the first layer.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
64 words
The method recited in claim 19 wherein the step of forming the regions of material of a second type substantially over the electrodes comprises the process of forming the first layer of material of a first type only in the regions over the electrodes and then forming a second layer of material of a second type over substantially the entire surface of the substrate.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method recited in claim 13 wherein the step of graphotaxially growing a first layer of seed material upon a first substrate comprises the formation of seed chips which are thinner than the height of the second substrate, including the glass layers of the second substrate.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method recited in claim 13 wherein the step of graphotaxially growing a first layer of seed material upon a first substrate comprises the formation of seed chips which are thicker than the height of the second substrate including the glass layer of the second substrate and wherein a shim is used to increase the height of the second substrate.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method recited in claim 25 wherein the step of using a shim to increase the height of the second substrate comprises using gold to form the shim material.
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