Flexible display substrates

Abstract

Processes for transferring a semiconductor material to a polymer substrate to provide flexible semiconductor material include implanting ions to a predetermined depth in a semiconductor substrate, heat-treating the ion-implanted semiconductor substrate for a period of time and at a temperature effective to cause defect formation and enlargement of the implanted ion defect, adhering the ion-implanted, heat-treated substrate to a polymer substrate, and separating a semiconductor film such as a single crystal silicon film from the semiconductor substrate; and devices having single crystal silicon films disposed directly or indirectly on polymer films.

1 . A semiconductor material comprising at least one single crystal silicon film adhered to at least one polymer substrate.  
   
   
       2 . The semiconductor material of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one polymer substrate comprises at least one polymer chosen from the group comprising thermoplastic polymers, thermoset polymers with high failure strain, glass-polymer blends and polymer coated with a glass film.  
   
   
       3 . The semiconductor material of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one polymer substrate comprises at least one polymer chosen from the group comprising polysulfone, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), and polyimides.  
   
   
       4 . A semiconductor material of  claim 1  further comprising at least one intermediate layer disposed between said at least one single crystal silicon film and said at least one polymer.  
   
   
       5 . A process for transferring a semiconductor film to a polymer substrate to make a flexible semiconductor material comprising: 
 implanting ions to a predetermined depth in at least one semiconductor substrate;    heat-treating the at least one ion-implanted semiconductor substrate for a period of time and at a temperature effective to cause defect formation in the region of the implanted ions to create a separation zone, the separation zone defining a first part and a second part of the at least one semiconductor substrate;    adhering the at least one ion-implanted, heat-treated semiconductor substrate to at least one polymer substrate; and    separating the first part of the at least one semiconductor substrate from the at least one semiconductor substrate along the separation zone.    
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 5 , the implanting ions comprising hydrogen ions.  
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 5 , the implantation dose being from about 1×10 16  ions/cm 2  to about 3×10 17  ions/cm 2  at about 10 KeV to about 200 KeV.  
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 5 , the heat-treating of the ion-implanted semiconductor substrate comprising contacting the ion-implanted surface of the semiconductor substrate to a support.  
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 8 , the support comprising a rigid material.  
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 8 , the support comprising smooth glass.  
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 5  comprising heat treating the ion-implanted semiconductor substrate at a temperature of from about 300° C. to about 500° C.  
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 5  comprising heat treating the ion-implanted semiconductor substrate at a temperature of from about 400° C. to about 500° C.  
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 5  comprising heat treating the ion-implanted semiconductor substrate at a temperature of about 450° C.  
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 5  comprising heat treating the ion-implanted semiconductor substrate for about 1 minute to about 120 minutes.  
   
   
       15 . The process of  claim 5  comprising heat treating the ion-implanted semiconductor substrate for about 30 minutes to about 90 minutes.  
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 5 , comprising heat treating the ion-implanted semiconductor substrate for about 60 minutes.  
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 5 , the semiconductor film comprising a substantially single crystal silicon film.  
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 5 , the adhering step comprising contacting the ion-implanted side of the heat-treated semiconductor substrate with a preheated polymer substrate.  
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 18  comprising preheating a polymer substrate to a temperature of about plus or minus 100° C. of the glass transition temperature of the polymer substrate.  
   
   
       20 . The process of  claim 5 , the adhering step comprising positioning an adhesive between the semiconductor substrate and polymer substrate.  
   
   
       21 . The process of  claim 20 , the adhering step comprising positioning the adhesive between the ion-implanted side of the semiconductor substrate and the polymer substrate.  
   
   
       22 . The process of  claim 20 , the adhesive comprising a silane adhesive.  
   
   
       23 . The process of  claim 5 , the polymer substrate comprising a polymer selected from the group comprising thermoplastic polymers, thermoset polymers with high failure strain, glass-polymer blends and polymer coated with a glass film.  
   
   
       24 . The process of  claim 20 , the polymer substrate comprising a polymer chosen from the group comprising polysulfone, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), and polyimides.  
   
   
       25 . The process of  claim 5 , the polymer substrate comprising polyethylene terephthalate heated to a temperature of about 242° C. to about 442° C.  
   
   
       26 . The process of  claim 5 , the polymer substrate comprising polysulfone heated to a temperature of about 85° C. to about 285° C.  
   
   
       27 . A method for producing a semiconductor-on-polymer structure comprising the steps of: 
 providing a first substrate comprising at least one semiconductor material having a first bonding surface and a first force-applying surface, and an internal separation zone for separating the first substrate into a first part and a second part, and the second part is between the separation zone and the first bonding surface;    subjecting the first substrate to a heat treatment to facilitate later delamination of the second part;    cooling the first substrate;    providing a second substrate comprising at least one polymer and further comprising two opposing external surfaces comprising a second bonding surface and a second force-applying surface;    heating the second substrate;    contacting the first and second bonding surfaces for a period of time sufficient for the first and second substrates to bond to one another at the first and second bonding surfaces, and under conditions in which force is applied to the first and second force-applying surfaces to urge the first and second bonding surfaces together to form an assembly;    discontinuing the heat applied to the second substrate;    cooling the assembly;    removing the applied pressure; and    separating the first and second parts at the separation zone.    
   
   
       28 . The method in accordance with  claim 27 , the first bonding surface, the first force-applying surface and the separation zone being substantially parallel to one another.  
   
   
       29 . The method in accordance with  claim 27 , comprising conducting the heat treatment of the first substrate on a glass substrate.  
   
   
       30 . The method in accordance with  claim 27  the semiconductor material comprising at least one single crystal silicon film.