Patent ID: 7905197

Claim:
An apparatus for forming an epitaxial thin film comprising: a melt pocket for holding a liquid phase epitaxial material; a manifold for directing said liquid phase epitaxial material onto an assembly substrate; first frame portion with a body adapted to hold said assembly substrate, which assembly substrate can include a plurality of openings; a second base portion adapted to hold a seed substrate in contact with said assembly substrate such that said liquid phase material can be introduced into a template within said assembly substrate and contact a surface of said seed substrate through said plurality of openings; a temperature controller for controlling melting and cooling of said liquid phase epitaxial material such that an epitaxial layer can be formed as a patterned epitaxial structure within said frame portion above said assembly substrate; a transfer mechanism that can operate in conjunction with said temperature controller and which is adapted to move said first frame portion and/or said second base portion so as to separate said epitaxial layer and patterned epitaxial structure from said seed substrate; wherein said epitaxial layer and patterned epitaxial structure can be transferred within said assembly substrate as a distinct layer from said seed substrate.