US 8,575,515 B2Granted

Laser annealing apparatus

AssigneeIHI Corporation

InventorsNorihito Kawaguchi, Ryusuke Kawakami, Kenichiro Nishida, Jun Izawa, Miyuki Masaki, Masaru Morita

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Abstract

A laser annealing apparatus is provided that is capable of reducing irradiation unevenness of laser light caused by a refraction phenomenon of the laser light due to fluctuation in the temperature of inert gas. The laser annealing apparatus includes a gas supply unit for supplying inert gas G to at least a laser irradiation area of a workpiece, and a gas temperature controller for regulating the temperature of the inert gas G. The gas temperature controller controls the temperature of the inert gas G supplied to the laser irradiation area so as to decrease a temperature difference between the temperature of the inert gas G and the atmospheric temperature of a space (a room R) that is disposed outside the supply area of the inert gas so the temperature controlled inert gas surrounds the optical path of the laser light.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A laser annealing apparatus that performs an annealing treatment on a workpiece to be processed by irradiating the workpiece with laser light, wherein apparatus comprises:

(a) a gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas to at least a laser irradiation area of a workpiece, wherein the gas supply unit includes a purge box that has a bottom surface that is a flat surface parallel to a surface of the workpiece, wherein the bottom surface of the purge box is disposed so as to face the surface of the workpiece and the inert gas is introduced into the purge box;
(b) a laser light source that emits laser light;
and
(c) a gas temperature controller that controls the temperature of the inert gas in a supply area, wherein the purge box includes
i. a transmission window that transmits the laser light so the laser light is introduced into the purge box;
and
ii. an opening provided in the bottom surface of the purge box that passes the laser light introduced into the purge box through the purge box and the inert gas inside the purge box blows through the opening towards the workpiece, and
wherein the inert gas blowing through the opening of the purge box forms a purge area between the bottom surface of the purge box and the surface of the workpiece, and the gas temperature controller controls the temperature of the inert gas supplied to the laser irradiation area of the workpiece so as to decrease a temperature difference between the temperature of the inert gas and an atmospheric temperature of a space disposed outside the supply area of the inert gas so as to surround an optical path of the laser light with the temperature controlled inert gas.

5 more elements

A laser annealing apparatus that performs an annealing treatment on a workpiece to be processed by irradiating the workpiece with laser light, wherein the apparatus comprises:

(a) a gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas to at least a laser irradiation area of a workpiece, wherein the gas supply unit includes
i. a parallel facing body having a bottom surface that is parallel to a surface of the workpiece, wherein the parallel facing body includes a transmission window that is formed on a bottom portion of the parallel facing body, wherein the bottom surface of the parallel facing body includes the bottom portion, and the bottom surface faces the workpiece so laser light is transmitted through the transmission window to the laser irradiation area of the workpiece;
and
ii. a purge unit disposed on an upstream side of the parallel facing body, wherein the purge unit is disposed to spray the inert gas towards the workpiece so that the inert gas is supplied between the parallel facing body and the surface of the workpiece, and so the inert gas flows one way between the parallel facing body and the workpiece;
(b) a laser light source that emits the laser light;
and
(c) a gas temperature controller that controls temperature of the inert gas in a supply area, wherein the inert gas blows through a discharge opening formed on a bottom portion of the purge unit to a purge area between a bottom surface of the parallel facing body and the surface of the workpiece, and the gas temperature controller controls a temperature of the inert gas supplied to the laser irradiation area of the workpiece so as to decrease a temperature difference between the temperature of the inert gas and an atmospheric temperature of a space disposed outside the supply area of the inert gas so as to surround an optical path of the laser light with the temperature controlled inert gas.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/002,010Filed 17 Jun 2009
Priority: JP 2008-17000730 Jun 2008
Published: US 2011/0108535 A112 May 2011
Granted: 5 Nov 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H10P 34/42
With high-energy radiation: with electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser annealing
B23K 26/0853
Devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least one axial direction: devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least two axial…
B23K 26/127
In a special environment or atmosphere, e.g. in an enclosure: in an enclosure
B23K 26/128
In an enclosure: laser beam path enclosures