TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The base substrate is a material comprising glass, plastic or steel. The seed layer is a crystalline silicon material.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: (I) further comprises: a first contact placed on the layer above and electrically connected to the n-doped region; and a second contact place on the layer above and electrically connected to the p-doped region. (I) further comprises an insulating layer positioned between the layer and the first and second contacts. The device further comprises a seed layer between the amorphous/poly layer and the second amorphous/poly layer, or between the amorphous/poly layer and the substrate, or between the amorphous/poly layer and an anti-reflective coating on the substrate. Preferred Method: The n-doped region is electrically connected to the first contact by holes or slots through the insulating layer and p-doped region is electrically connected to the second contact by holes or slots through the insulating layer. The P-type anode and the N-type cathode form diodes positioned laterally along the backside surface of the layer. The method further comprises: placing a first contact on the layer above and electrically connected to the n-doped region; and placing a second contact on the layer above and electrically connected to the p-doped region. The method further comprises: providing an insulating layer onto the backside of the layer before the first contacts and second contacts are placed on the layer; and forming holes in the insulating layer to provide electrical contact between the doped regions and the first and second contacts. The steps related to placing the first and second contacts are performed at less than 600 degrees C, or at less than 500 degrees C. In the method, furnace steps associated with the device fabrication are performed at less than 600 degrees C, or at less than 500 degrees C. The method further comprises coating the base substrate with a coating before placing the seed layer on it. The coating is an anti-reflective coating. The solid state laser is a pulsed laser with a high repetition rate. The solid state laser operates at a wavelength of 400 nm to 1.06 mu m. The high repetition rate is 10 kHz to 100 MHz, or 1 MHz or 50 MHz. The device produced by the process, further comprises: placing a seed layer on the base substrate prior to heating the amorphous/poly material and covering the seed layer with the amorphous/poly material; heating the amorphous/poly material which melts at least a portion the amorphous/poly material; depositing a second layer of amorphous/poly material; and heating the second amorphous/poly material to transform at least a portion of the second amorphous/poly material into a crystalline form. The thin film device produced by the process further comprises coating the base substrate with a coating before placing the seed layer on it. The thin film device produced by the process, further comprises: coating the substrate with an anti-reflective coating prior to coating the substrate with the silicon containing material; coating the substrate with an insulating material following the doping of the selected region with the P-type dopant; and forming holes in the insulating material. In the process: placing contacts on the selected region comprises using a metallization paste, where the metallization paste comprises antimony; and placing contacts on the selected region comprises screen printing aluminum lines on the selected region of the silicon containing material.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The layer is an amorphous/poly layer (202) on the substrate, at least partially crystallized via use of a laser heating process. The amorphous/poly material has: overall thickness of 3-6 microns, or 5 microns; and/or a thickness of a first-deposited layer/portion of 40-500 nm, or 45 nm. (I) further comprises a second amorphous/poly layer connected to the amorphous/poly layer, where the second amorphous/poly layer is at least partially crystallized via use of a laser heating process which transforms a portion the amorphous/poly material into crystalline form. In (I): a grain size of the crystallized portion of the amorphous/poly layer is greater than or equal to 10 microns; and a grain size of the crystallized portion of the amorphous/poly layer is 1-100 microns. The layer of silicon or silicon-containing material is an amorphous/poly material layer. The layer has a thickness of 300 nm to 30 microns. Preferred Method: The amorphous/poly material is deposited via a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) deposition processes or a plasma-enhanced (PE)CVD process, or via sputtering. The laser heating process heats the second amorphous/poly material by heating the seed layer, which is in contact with the material. The method further comprises heating the amorphous/poly material using a laser which transforms a portion the amorphous/poly material into at least a partially crystalline form. The method further comprises: placing a seed layer on the base substrate or on the amorphous/poly material prior to heating the amorphous/poly material and covering the seed layer with the amorphous/poly material; heating the amorphous/poly material which melts at least a portion of the amorphous/poly material; depositing a second layer of amorphous/poly material; and heating the second amorphous/poly material to a submelt which melts a portion of the second amorphous/poly material. The portion of the second amorphous/poly material which melts is less than 50% of the amorphous/poly material. The second amorphous/poly material is heated using a solid state laser. The thickness of the second amorphous/poly material is 300 nm to 30 mu m.