Patent ID: 7253037

Claim:
A method of fabricating a thin film transistor comprising: preparing an insulative substrate; forming an amorphous silicon layer on the insulative substrate; forming a catalyst construction on at least a portion of the amorphous silicon layer; connecting at least one anode and at least one cathode to the catalyst construction; delivering a predetermined amount of electric power to the anode and the cathode, wherein the delivered electric power generates joule heat in the catalyst construction, and wherein the generated joule heat heats the amorphous silicon layer to a temperature rangina from about 800 to about 1,000° C.; crystallizing the portion of the amorphous silicon layer on which the catalyst construction is positioned using the generated joule heat; and crystallizing a remaining portion of the amorphous silicon layer by propagating the crystallization of the portion of the amorphous silicon layer on which the catalyst construction is positioned, thereby forming a crystallized polysilicon layer.