# US 10,369,658 B2 · Laser irradiation method and laser irradiation apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,658 B2 - Document ID: US10369658B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/202,022 - Filed: 2016-07-05 - Published: 2016-10-27 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2004-05-14 - Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Koichiro Tanaka; Hirotada Oishi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369658B2 ## CPC - B23K 26/0608: {in the same heat affected zone [HAZ] (B23K26/0613, B23K26/0619 take precedence)} - B23K 15/0093: {characterised by the properties of the materials to be welded} - B23K 15/10: Non-vacuum electron beam-welding or cutting - B23K 26/0648: {comprising lenses} - B23K 26/0732: {into a rectangular shape} - B23K 26/0738: {into a linear shape} - G02B 3/0062: {Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between} - G02B 27/0927: {Systems for changing the beam intensity distribution, e.g. Gaussian to top-hat} - G02B 27/0961: {Lens arrays (lens arrays per se G02B3/0006)} - G02B 27/0966: {Cylindrical lenses (cylindrical lenses per se G02B3/06)} - B23K 2103/56: {being semiconducting} - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract The present invention is to provide a laser irradiation technique for irradiating the irradiation surface with the laser beam having homogeneous intensity distribution using a cylindrical lens array without being affected by the intensity distribution of the original beam. A laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator is divided by two kinds of cylindrical lens arrays into a plurality of beams, which are two kinds of linear laser beams with their energy intensity distribution inverted each other, and the two kinds of linear laser beams are superposed in a minor-axis direction. This can form the linear laser beam having homogeneous intensity distribution on the irradiation surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: forming a semiconductor layer comprising amorphous silicon over a substrate; emitting a laser beam from a laser oscillator; shaping the laser beam by at least a lens array arranged in a matrix of rows and columns to form a plurality of laser beams; and irradiating the semiconductor layer with the plurality of laser beams to crystallize the semiconductor layer, wherein the lens array comprises a plurality of first cylindrical lenses in a first row, wherein the lens array comprises a plurality of second cylindrical lenses in a second row, wherein the plurality of first cylindrical lenses is directly connected to the plurality of second cylindrical lenses, wherein the first cylindrical lens in a first column is directly connected to the first cylindrical lens in a second column, wherein the second cylindrical lens in the first column is directly connected to the second cylindrical lens in the second column, wherein the first cylindrical lens in the first column is adjacent to the first cylindrical lens in the second column in a first direction, wherein the first cylindrical lens in the first column is adjacent to the second cylindrical lens in the first column in a second direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, wherein the second direction is parallel to a direction of a generating line of the first cylindrical lens in the first column, and wherein the laser beam enters the lens array from a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of laser beams is an excimer laser. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of laser beams is a harmonic wave of a YAG laser. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of laser beams is a harmonic wave of a YVO4 laser. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of superposing the plurality of laser beams on a surface of the semiconductor layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of patterning the semiconductor layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the lens array comprises a plurality of cylindrical lenses. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the lens array comprises a plurality of convex lenses. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is at least one selected from the group consisting of a display device, a computer and a mobile phone. ### Claim 10 A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: forming a semiconductor layer comprising amorphous silicon over a substrate; emitting a laser beam from a laser oscillator; shaping the laser beam by at least a lens array arranged in a matrix of rows and columns to form a plurality of laser beams; irradiating the semiconductor layer with the plurality of laser beams to crystallize the semiconductor layer; and moving the substrate relative to the plurality of laser beams during irradiation with the plurality of laser beams, wherein the lens array comprises a plurality of first cylindrical lenses in a first row, wherein the lens array comprises a plurality of second cylindrical lenses in a second row, wherein the plurality of first cylindrical lenses is directly connected to the plurality of second cylindrical lenses, wherein the first cylindrical lens in a first column is directly connected to the first cylindrical lens in a second column, wherein the second cylindrical lens in the first column is directly connected to the second cylindrical lens in the second column, wherein the first cylindrical lens in the first column is adjacent to the first cylindrical lens in the second column in a first direction, wherein the first cylindrical lens in the first column is adjacent to the second cylindrical lens in the first column in a second direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, wherein the second direction is parallel to a direction of a generating line of the first cylindrical lens in the first column, and wherein the laser beam enters the lens array from a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of laser beams is an excimer laser. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of laser beams is a harmonic wave of a YAG laser. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of laser beams is a harmonic wave of a YVO4 laser. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of superposing the plurality of laser beams on a surface of the semiconductor layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of patterning the semiconductor layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the lens array comprises a plurality of cylindrical lenses. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the lens array comprises a plurality of convex lenses. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the semiconductor device is at least one selected from the group consisting of a display device, a computer and a mobile phone.