SGER: Thin Film Electronics on Plastic Substrates

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9906622Dalal Thin film electronic devices on plastic substrates are likely to become a very important class of new devices. Among the many applications of such devices are conformal flat panel displays, organic LED'S, very large, fault-tolerant memories for terrestrial and space applications, hybrid imagers and cameras based on combinations of amorphous and crystalline materials, strained-layer superlattice light emission devices in Group IV materials, chemical sensors, self-powered sensors, photovoltaic devices etc. To fabricate many of these devices, it is essential that the crystallinity, composition, electronic properties and stability of the materials and device interfaces be controlled in-situ during growth. To-date, various approaches, such as post-deposition laser recrystallization, have been used to fabricate devices on plastic films. But these approaches are not always feasible for large areas, nor do they easily allow mixed-phase [e.g. amorphous/crystalline] or superlattice devices to be made. Therefore, the critical research need for all these novel devices is the ability to deposit materials of high electronic quality, stability and controlled crystallinity directly on plastic substrates. In this exploratory proposal, we suggest using a well-controlled growth process, reactive plasma beam deposition, to deposit high quality Group IV materials, such as microcrystalline and polycrystalline Si, (Si,Ge) and (Si,C) directly on plastic substrates and then measuring their electronic properties. The deposition process uses a well controlled beam of reactive ions, such as H, produced using an ECR reactor, to control crystallinity, alloy composition and grain size during growth so that no post-processing laser crystallization is needed. The objective of the exploratory program is to develop the basic understanding and process control needed for depositing high quality, stable Group IV devices on plastic substrates in later years.The program has a strong educational component, involving graduate students, post-Doctoral scientists, and undergraduate students.The industrial impact of the program is likely to be significant. The devices mentioned are the cutting-edge technology for display industries, photovoltaic industries, sensors, new generation of imagers etc., and are likely to enjoy very high growth rates.***