US 2003/0153182 A1 · Laser irradiation apparatus · patentgrep

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Abstract

Each region, which should be left on a substrate after patterning, of a semiconductor film is grasped in accordance with a mask. Then, each region to be scanned with laser light is determined so that at least the region to be obtained through the patterning is crystallized, and a beam spot is made to hit the region to be scanned, thereby partially crystallizing the semiconductor film. Each portion with low output energy of the beam spot is shielded by a slit. In the present invention, the laser light is not scanned and irradiated onto the entire surface of the semiconductor film but is scanned such that at least each indispensable portion is crystallized to a minimum. With the construction described above, it becomes possible to save time taken to irradiate the laser light onto each portion to be removed through the patterning after the crystallization of the semiconductor film.

Claims66

Dependent claims

A laser irradiation apparatus comprising:

a plurality of laser oscillation apparatuses;
an optical system that condenses a plurality of laser lights outputted from the plurality of laser oscillation apparatuses and has beam spots at a substrate partially overlap each other;
a slit that limits a width of a beam spot obtained by the overlapping in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the substrate;
a position control means for controlling a position of the substrate;
and
a computer that specifies, from pattern information concerning an element group to be formed over the substrate, a region that will become an active layer of the element group with reference to a marker, that determines a specific region of a semiconductor film to be irradiated with the laser lights so that the region that will become the active layer is included in the specific region, that synchronizes the slit, the plurality of laser oscillation apparatuses, and the position control means, and that superimposes the beam spot, whose width has been limited by the slit, on the specific region.

3 more elements

A laser irradiation apparatus comprising:

a plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses;
a first optical system that condenses a plurality of laser lights outputted from the plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses and has beam spots at a substrate partially overlap each other;
a slit that limits a width of a beam spot obtained by the overlapping in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the substrate;
a second laser oscillation apparatus;
a second optical system that condenses a laser light outputted from the second laser oscillation apparatus and processes a shape of a beam spot thereof;
a position control means for controlling a position of the substrate;
and
a computer that synchronizes the second laser oscillation apparatus and the position control means to form a marker using the beam spot whose shape has been processed by the second optical system, that specifies, from pattern information concerning an element group to be formed over the substrate, a region that will become an active layer of the element group with reference to the marker, that determines a specific region of a semiconductor film to be irradiated with the laser lights so that the region that will become the active layer is included in the specific region, that synchronizes the slit, the plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses, and the position control means, and that superimposes the beam spot, whose width has been limited by the slit, on the specific region.

5 more elements

A laser irradiation apparatus comprising:

a plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses;
a first optical system that condenses a plurality of laser lights outputted from the plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses and has beam spots at a substrate partially overlap each other;
a slit that limits a width of a beam spot obtained by the overlapping in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the substrate;
a second laser oscillation apparatus;
a second optical system that condenses a laser light outputted from the second laser oscillation apparatus and processes a shape of a beam spot thereof;
a position control means for moving a position of the substrate in at least one of a first direction and a second direction that cross each other;
and
a computer that synchronizes the second laser oscillation apparatus and the position control means to form a marker using the beam spot whose shape has been processed by the second optical system, that specifies, from pattern information concerning an element group to be formed over the substrate, a region that will become an active layer of the element group with reference to the marker, that determines a specific region of a semiconductor film to be irradiated with the laser lights so that the region that will become the active layer is included in the specific region, that synchronizes the slit, the plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses, and the position control means, and that superimposes the beam spot, whose width has been limited by the slit, on the specific region.

5 more elements

A laser irradiation apparatus comprising:

a plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses;
a first optical system that condenses a plurality of laser lights outputted from the plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses and has beam spots at a substrate partially overlap each other so that a straight line is drawn by respective centers of the beam spots;
a slit that limits a width of a beam spot obtained by the overlapping in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the substrate;
a second laser oscillation apparatus;
a second optical system that condenses a laser light outputted from the second laser oscillation apparatus and processes a shape of a beam spot thereof;
a position control means for controlling a position of the substrate;
and
a computer that synchronizes the second laser oscillation apparatus and the position control means to form a marker using the beam spot whose shape has been processed by the second optical system, that specifies, from pattern information concerning an element group to be formed over the substrate, a region that will become an active layer of the element group with reference to the marker, that determines a specific region of a semiconductor film to be irradiated with the laser lights so that the region that will become the active layer is included in the specific region, that synchronizes the slit, the plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses, and the position control means, and that superimposes the beam spot, whose width has been limited by the slit, on the specific region.

5 more elements

A laser irradiation apparatus comprising:

a plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses;
a first optical system that condenses a plurality of laser lights outputted from the plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses and has beam spots at a substrate partially overlap each other so that a straight line is drawn by respective centers of the beam spots;
a slit that limits a width of a beam spot obtained by the overlapping in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the substrate;
a second laser oscillation apparatus;
a second optical system that condenses a laser light outputted from the second laser oscillation apparatus and processes a shape of a beam spot thereof;
a position control means for moving a position of the substrate in at least one of a first direction and a second direction that cross each other;
and
a computer that synchronizes the second laser oscillation apparatus and the position control means to form a marker using the beam spot whose shape has been processed by the second optical system, specifies, from pattern information concerning an element group to be formed over the substrate, a region that will become an active layer of the element group with reference to the marker, that determines a specific region of a semiconductor film to be irradiated with the laser lights so that the region that will become the active layer is included in the specific region, that synchronizes the slit, the plurality of first laser oscillation apparatuses, and the position control means, and that superimposes the beam spot, whose width has been limited by the slit, on the specific region.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/305,367Filed 27 Nov 2002
Priority: JP 2001-36602730 Nov 2001
Published: 14 Aug 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification32 codes

H10D 86/0229
Comprising crystallisation of amorphous, microcrystalline or polycrystalline semiconductor materials: characterised by control of the annealing or…
B23K 26/0604
Shaping the laser beam, e.g. by masks or multi-focusing: by a combination of beams
B23K 26/0608
By a combination of beams: in the same heat affected zone [HAZ]
B23K 26/066
By means of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors or prisms: by using masks

Family

US 7,105,048 B2Related patent
US 2003/0153182 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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