Patent ID: 8492238

Claim:
A method for fabricating piezoresistive polysilicon on a substrate by low-temperature metal induced crystallization comprising the steps of: providing the substrate having a passivation layer; performing, at or near room temperature in a vacuum chamber without breaking a vacuum or near-vacuum within the chamber, the steps of: (a) creating a metal layer on the passivation layer, and (b) creating an amorphous silicon layer on the metal layer, wherein the metal layer and the amorphous silicon layer have approximately the same thickness; annealing the substrate, the passivation layer, the metal layer and the amorphous silicon layer at a temperature equal to or less than 600° C. and a period of time equal to or less than three hours to form a doped polysilicon layer below a residual metal layer, wherein the doped polysilicon layer is above the passivation layer; and removing the residual metal layer to expose the doped polysilicon layer having one or more piezoresistive properties.