This disclosure relates to methods of growing crystalline layers on amorphous substrates by way of an ultra-thin seed layer, methods for preparing the seed layer, and compositions comprising both. In an aspect of the invention, the crystalline layers can be thin films. In a preferred embodiment, these thin films can be free-standing.

A method for crystallizing an amorphous multicomponent ionic compound comprises applying an external stimulus to a layer of an amorphous multicomponent ionic compound, the layer in contact with an amorphous surface of a deposition substrate at a first interface and optionally, the layer in contact with a crystalline surface at a second interface, wherein the external stimulus induces an amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation, thereby crystallizing the layer to provide a crystalline multicomponent ionic compound, wherein the external stimulus and the crystallization are carried out at a temperature below the melting temperature of the amorphous multicomponent ionic compound. If the layer is in contact with the crystalline surface at the second interface, the temperature is further selected to achieve crystallization from the crystalline surface via solid phase epitaxial (SPE) growth without nucleation.

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 laser irradiation apparatus includes: a laser generation apparatus configured to generate first laser light for performing heat treatment of an object to be processed; a measurement-laser emission unit configured to emit linearly-polarized second laser light toward an irradiation area on the object to be processed to which the first laser light is applied; a first polarizing plate configured to let, of the whole reflected light of the second laser light reflected by the object to be processed, a part of the reflected light that has a first polarization direction pass therethrough; and a measurement-laser detection unit configured to detect the reflected light that has passed through the first polarizing plate.

A method of forming conductive member includes: forming, on substrate, first portion containing first element constituting the conductive member to be obtained and second element causing eutectic reaction with the first element, and second portion containing third element constituting intermetallic compound with the second element; crystallizing primary crystals of the first element by adjusting temperature of the substrate after bringing the first portion into liquid phase state; growing crystal grains of the first element by diffusing the second element from the first portion into the second portion to increase ratio of the first element in crystal state to the first and second elements in the liquid phase state in the first portion while maintaining the temperature of the substrate at the same temperature; and turning the first portion, after completing diffusion of the second element into the second portion, into the conductive member having crystal grains of the first element.

Provided are novel transition metal dichalcogenides having a platelet structure and comprising a 2H phase region and/or a 3R phase region. The platelets exhibit a narrow size distribution and comparatively high surface area and edge area, which characteristics render the platelets especially suitable for catalysis applications, as well as use in electronic devices. Also provided are methods of synthesizing the disclosed transition metal dichalcogenide platelets.

Provided are a ferroelectric material and an electronic device including same, the ferroelectric material including: a first domain including a first polarization layer which is polarized in a first direction and a first spacer layer disposed adjacent to the first polarization layer; a second domain including a second polarization layer which is polarized in a second direction distinct from the first direction and a second spacer layer disposed adjacent to the second polarization layer; and a structural layer, which is disposed at a domain wall between the first domain and the second domain, and belongs to/has atoms arranged according to a Pbcn space group.

A seed crystal layer is provided on a supporting body. A laser light is irradiated from a side of the supporting body to provide an altered portion along an interface between the supporting body and seed crystal layer. The altered layer is composed of a nitride of a group 13 element and comprising a portion into which dislocation defects are introduced or an amorphous portion.

A method for manufacturing a composite structure comprising a thin layer made of monocrystalline silicon carbide arranged on a carrier substrate made of silicon carbide, the method comprising: a) a step of providing a donor substrate made of monocrystalline silicon carbide, b) a step of ion implantation of light species into the donor substrate, to form a buried brittle plane delimiting the thin layer between the buried brittle plane and a free surface of the donor substrate, c) a succession of n steps of forming crystalline carrier layers, with n greater than or equal to 2; the n crystalline carrier layers being positioned on the front face of the donor substrate successively one on the other, and forming the carrier substrate; each formation step comprising: direct liquid injection chemical vapor deposition, at a temperature below 900° C., to form a carrier layer, the carrier layer being formed by an at least partially amorphous SiC matrix, and having a thickness of less than or equal to 200 microns; a crystallization heat treatment of the carrier layer, at a temperature of less than or equal to 1000° C., to form a crystalline carrier layer; d) a step of separation along the buried brittle plane, to form, on the one hand, a composite structure comprising the thin layer on the carrier substrate and, on the other hand, the rest of the donor substrate.

A method of forming a crystalline silicon film includes forming a first amorphous silicon film on a substrate, forming a crystal nucleation film in which crystal nuclei of silicon are formed by performing a first annealing on the substrate having the first amorphous silicon film formed thereon, performing etching with an etching gas, forming a second amorphous silicon film on the crystal nuclei remaining after the etching, and forming a crystalline silicon film by performing a second annealing on the substrate after the forming of the second amorphous silicon film to grow the crystal nuclei.