Understanding of Metal-Induced Lateral Crystallization Mechanism - A Low Temperature Crystallization Phenomenon

Because the phase transformation temperature of amorphous silicon into poly silicon is too high for a common glass substrate, a process technology for low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) has to be developed for advanced flat panel display devices. Metal-induced lateral crystallization (MILC), first introduced in 1995, has been thought to be the only alternative to the laser process in fabrication of LTPS, and yet the basic reaction mechanism underlying MILC has not been clearly understood. In this work, a novel model for understanding the MILC reaction mechanism is proposed. The validity of the proposed model was evaluated through its application to various MILC-related phenomena. The concept developed in this work elucidates new poly TFT fabrication methods, by which active matrix LCDs and OLEDs can be fabricated at low temperatures such that even a plastic substrate can be used.