Monitoring method and apparatus for excimer-laser annealing process
AssigneeCoherent LaserSystems GmbH & Co. KG
InventorPaul Van Der Wilt
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Abstract
A method of evaluating a crystallized silicon layer on a substrate includes injecting light into the substrate in such a way that it is wave-guided by the substrate. Wave-guided injected light is diffracted out of the substrate by periodic features of the silicon layer. The diffracted light is detected and processed to evaluate the crystalline layer.
Claims20
A method of detecting periodic surface features in a recrystallized silicon layer provided on a substrate, the method comprising:
- coupling light into the substrate at a first location such that at least a portion of the light is wave-guided by the substrate and coupled out of the substrate at a second location;
- and
- monitoring the light coupled out of the substrate to determine properties of the periodic surface features.
An apparatus for evaluating a silicon layer on a substrate, wherein the silicon layer includes periodic surface features formed during an annealing process, said apparatus comprising:
- an illumination source for injecting light into an edge of the substrate so that the light is wave-guided by the substrate;
- collection optics positioned adjacent the surface of the silicon layer for collecting a portion of the injected light that is coupled out of the substrate by the periodic surface features and forming an optical image;
- a detector for converting the optical image formed by the collection optics into an electrical signal;
- and
- a processor for receiving and interpreting the electrical signal from the detector to obtain a numerical representation of the condition of the silicon layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.