Aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) thin films having a high γ-phase purity and low defect density and methods for making the aluminum oxide thin films are provided. Also provided are epitaxial heterostructures that incorporate the aluminum oxide thin films as growth substrates and methods of forming the heterostructures. The Al.sub.2O.sub.3 films are pure, or nearly pure, γ-Al.sub.2O.sub.3. As such, the films contain no, or only a very low concentration of, other Al.sub.2O.sub.3 polymorph phases. In particular, the Al.sub.2O.sub.3 films contain no, or only a very low concentration of, the θ-Al.sub.2O.sub.3 polymorph phase.

Provided is a fluorite-based material thin film including an orthorhombic crystal structure having a symmetric segment and a non-symmetric segment; and at least two domains having different polarization directions. At least one of, the symmetric segment is not present at a wall between the domains, or at least two symmetric segments are consecutive. Also provided is a semiconductor device including the fluorite-based material thin film having an orthorhombic crystal structure. A polarization direction of the fluorite-based material thin film is configured to be changed by a structural transition between the symmetric segment and the non-symmetric segment.

The present disclosure provides methods for forming diamond nanostructures and diamonds from amorphous carbon nanostructures in ambient temperature and pressure by irradiating carbon nanostructures to an undercooled state and quenching the melted carbon to convert a portion of the nanostructure into diamond.

A method of performing regional heating of a substrate by electromagnetic induction heating. The method may include applying a semiconductor film to the substrate and controllably energizing a coil positioned near the substrate. The energized coil(s) thereby generates a magnetic flux, which induces a current in the substrate and/or the semiconductor film, thereby heating the substrate and/or semiconductor film. The method may also include relative motion between the coil and the substrate to provide translation heating of the semiconductor film. Additionally, a crystal seeding mechanism may be employed to further control the crystallization process.

There is provided a technique that includes: (a) forming a first film containing a Group 14 element on a substrate at a film-forming temperature; (b) performing a crystal growth of the first film by performing a heat treatment to the first film at a first temperature; and (c) moving the Group 14 element contained in at least part of the first film toward the substrate to crystallize the first film by performing the heat treatment to the first film at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor component comprising a thin layer of crystalline silicon on a substrate, comprising the steps of: providing a silicon-rich aluminum substrate (S0), depositing a thin layer of amorphous silicon on the substrate (S1), and applying thermal annealing (S2) to the thin layer of amorphous silicon to obtain a thin layer of crystalline silicon on the substrate.

An organic material with a porous interpenetrating network and an amount of inorganic material at least partially distributed within the porosity of the organic material is disclosed. A method of producing the organic-inorganic thin films and devices therefrom comprises seeding with nanoparticles and depositing an amorphous material on the nanoparticles.

Forming a single crystal film includes contacting a seed crystal with one or more amorphous metallic alloy layers to form an amorphous precursor film, and annealing the amorphous precursor film to yield the single crystal film.

A film forming method includes: forming a laminated film, in which an interface layer, a bulk layer, and a surface layer are laminated in this order, on a base; and crystallizing the laminated film, wherein the bulk layer is formed of a film that is easier to crystallize than the interface layer in crystallizing the laminated film, and wherein the surface layer is formed of a film that is easier to crystallize than the bulk layer in crystallizing the laminated film.

A method of reducing an impurity in a film begins by forming a metal film on a silicon film, the silicon film containing an impurity imparting electrical conductivity to silicon. The method proceeds to heat-treating the metal film to form a metal silicide region on the silicon film, and then removing the metal silicide region from the silicon film.