Conveyance apparatus, laser irradiation apparatus, conveyance method, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

A conveyance method for conveying a substrate by using a conveyance apparatus in order to irradiate the substrate with line-shaped laser light, wherein

• the conveyance apparatus comprises:
• a main levitation unit including an irradiation area disposed directly below an irradiation place of the laser light, and configured to levitate the substrate over a top surface thereof;
• a first rotation mechanism configured to rotate the substrate over the main levitation unit in a plan view;
• a first conveyance mechanism configured to convey the substrate in a first direction over the main levitation unit;
• and
• a second conveyance mechanism configured to convey the substrate in a second direction over the main levitation unit, and
• the conveyance method comprises the steps of:
• (A1) rotating, by the first rotation mechanism, the substrate over the main levitation unit so that an angle of the edge of the substrate with respect to a line direction of the laser light becomes a first angle;
• (A2) conveying, by the first conveyance mechanism, the substrate rotated by the first rotation mechanism in a first direction in a state in which the angle of the edge of the substrate is the first angle;
• and
• (A3) conveying, by the second conveyance mechanism, in order to change an irradiation place of the laser light on the substrate, the substrate conveyed by the first conveyance mechanism in a second direction in a state in which the angle of the edge of the substrate is the first angle.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

• (sa1) forming an amorphous film over a substrate;
• (sa2) loading the substrate with the amorphous film formed thereover onto a conveyance apparatus;
• and
• (sa3) irradiating the substrate with line-shaped laser light while conveying the substrate using the conveyance apparatus, and thereby annealing the amorphous film so that the amorphous film is crystallized into a crystallized film,
• the conveyance apparatus comprising:
• a main levitation unit including an irradiation area disposed directly below an irradiation place of the laser light, and configured to levitate the substrate over a top surface thereof;
• a first rotation mechanism configured to rotate the substrate over the main levitation unit so that an angle of the edge of the substrate with respect to a line direction of the laser light becomes a first angle in a plan view;
• a first conveyance mechanism configured to convey the substrate rotated by the first rotation mechanism in a first direction in a state in which the angle of the edge of the substrate is the first angle;
• and
• a second conveyance mechanism configured to convey, in order to change an irradiation place of the laser light on the substrate, the substrate conveyed by the first conveyance mechanism in a second direction in the state in which the angle of the edge of the substrate is the first angle.