Beam homogenizer and laser irradiation apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor device
First Claim
1. A beam homogenizer for shaping a beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface into a line-shape, comprising a light guide for homogenizing an energy distribution of the laser light along a width direction of the line-shape on the irradiated surface.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The inhomogeneous energy distribution at the beam spot on the irradiated surface is caused by a structural problem and processing accuracy of the cylindrical lens array forming an optical system.
According to the present invention, in the optical system for forming a rectangular beam spot, an optical system for homogenizing the energy distribution of the shorter side direction of a rectangular beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface is replaced with a light guide. The light guide is a circuit that can confine emitted beams in a certain region and guide and transmit its energy flow in parallel with the axis of a path thereof.
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Citations
46 Claims
- 1. A beam homogenizer for shaping a beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface into a line-shape, comprising a light guide for homogenizing an energy distribution of the laser light along a width direction of the line-shape on the irradiated surface.
- 3. A beam homogenizer for shaping a beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface into a line-shape, comprising a light pipe for homogenizing an energy distribution of the laser light along a width direction of the line-shape on the irradiated surface.
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5. A beam homogenizer for shaping a beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface into a line-shape, comprising:
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a light guide for homogenizing an energy distribution of the laser light along a width direction of the line-shape on the irradiated surface; and
at least one cylindrical lens for condensing light output from said light guide along a width direction of the line-shape on the irradiated surface. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A beam homogenizer for shaping a beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface into a line-shape, comprising:
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a light pipe for homogenizing an energy distribution of the laser light along a width direction of the line-shape on the irradiated surface; and
at least one cylindrical lens for condensing light output from said light pipe along a width direction of the line-shape on the irradiated surface. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A beam homogenizer for shaping a beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface into a line-shape, comprising:
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a unit for homogenizing an energy distribution of the laser light along a length direction of the line-shape on the irradiated surface; and
a light guide for homogenizing the energy distribution along a width direction of the line-shape on the irradiated surface, wherein said unit has at least a cylindrical lens array. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A beam homogenizer for shaping a beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface into a line-shape, comprising:
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a unit for homogenizing an energy distribution of the laser light along a length direction of the line-shape on the irradiated surface; and
a light pipe for homogenizing the energy distribution along a width direction of the line-shape on the irradiated surface, wherein said unit has at least a cylindrical lens array. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A laser irradiation apparatus for shaping a beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface into a line-shape, comprising:
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a laser oscillator; and
a beam homogenizer, wherein said beam homogenizer has a light guide for homogenizing an energy distribution of the laser light along a width direction of the line-shape. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A laser irradiation apparatus for shaping a beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface into a line-shape, comprising:
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a laser oscillator;
a beam homogenizer, wherein said beam homogenizer has a light guide for homogenizing an energy distribution of the laser light along a width direction of the line-shape, and said light guide comprises two reflective surfaces facing to each other. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A laser irradiation apparatus for shaping a beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface into a line-shape, comprising:
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a laser oscillator; and
a beam homogenizer, wherein said beam homogenizer has a light pipe for homogenizing an energy distribution of the laser light along a width direction of the line-shape. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A laser irradiation apparatus for shaping a beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface into a line-shape, comprising:
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a laser oscillator; and
a beam homogenizer, wherein said beam homogenizer has a light pipe for homogenizing an energy distribution of the laser light along a width direction of the line-shape, and said light pipe comprises two reflective surfaces facing to each other. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
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forming a non-single-crystal semiconductor film on a substrate;
generating a laser beam with a laser beam oscillator;
using at least a cylindrical lens array and a light guide to shape the laser beam so as to form a linear beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface with its energy distribution homogenized;
setting the substrate with the non-single-crystal semiconductor film formed thereon on a stage to make a surface of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film coincide with the irradiated surface; and
performing a laser annealing of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film by irradiating the semiconductor film surface with the linear laser beam while causing said stage to scan relative to the laser beam, wherein said cylindrical lens array acts on the linear beam spot along a length direction of the spot, and said light guide acts on the linear beam spot along a width direction of the spot. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
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forming a non-single-crystal semiconductor film on a substrate;
generating a laser beam with a laser beam oscillator;
using at least a cylindrical lens array and a light guide to shape the laser beam so as to form a linear beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface with its energy distribution homogenized;
setting the substrate with the non-single-crystal semiconductor film formed thereon on a stage to make a surface of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film coincide with the irradiated surface; and
performing a laser annealing of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film by irradiating the semiconductor film surface with the linear laser beam while causing said stage to scan relative to the laser beam, wherein said cylindrical lens array acts on the linear beam spot along a length direction of the spot, said light guide acts on the linear beam spot along a width direction of the spot, and said light guide comprises two reflective surfaces facing to each other. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
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forming a non-single-crystal semiconductor film on a substrate;
generating a laser beam with a laser beam oscillator;
using at least a cylindrical lens array and a light pipe to shape the laser beam so as to form a linear beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface with its energy distribution homogenized;
setting the substrate with the non-single-crystal semiconductor film formed thereon on a stage to make a surface of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film coincide with the irradiated surface; and
performing a laser annealing of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film by irradiating the semiconductor film surface with the linear laser beam while causing said stage to scan relative to the laser beam, wherein said cylindrical lens array acts on the linear beam spot along a length direction of the spot, and said light pipe acts on the linear beam spot along a width direction of the spot. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
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forming a non-single-crystal semiconductor film on a substrate;
generating a laser beam with a laser beam oscillator;
using at least a cylindrical lens array and a light pipe to shape the laser beam so as to form a linear beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface with its energy distribution homogenized;
setting the substrate with the non-single-crystal semiconductor film formed thereon on a stage to make a surface of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film coincide with the irradiated surface; and
performing a laser annealing of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film by irradiating the semiconductor film surface with the linear laser beam while causing said stage to scan relative to the laser beam, wherein said cylindrical lens array acts on the linear beam spot along a length direction of the spot, said light pipe acts on the linear beam spot along a width direction of the spot, and said light pipe comprises two reflective surfaces facing to each other. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
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providing a laser light;
passing said laser light through a light guide; and
irradiating a semiconductor film with said laser light after passing through said light guide to crystallize said semiconductor film, wherein an energy distribution of the laser light at a surface of said semiconductor film is homogenized by said light guide. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
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providing a laser light;
passing said laser light through a light pipe; and
irradiating a semiconductor film with said laser light after passing through said light pipe to crystallize said semiconductor film, wherein an energy distribution of the laser light at a surface of said semiconductor film is homogenized by said light pipe. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
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providing a laser light having a cross section perpendicular to a propagation direction of said laser light wherein said cross section has a length and a width;
increasing only the length of the cross section of the laser light;
passing said light through a light guide; and
irradiating a semiconductor film with said light after passing through said light guide to crystallize said semiconductor film, wherein an energy distribution of the laser light along a width direction of said cross section is homogenized by said light guide. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43)
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44. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
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providing a laser light having a cross section perpendicular to a propagation direction of said laser light wherein said cross section has a length and a width;
increasing only the length of the cross section of the laser light;
passing said light through a light pipe; and
irradiating a semiconductor film with said light after passing through said light pipe to crystallize said semiconductor film, wherein an energy distribution of the laser light along a width direction of said cross section is homogenized by said light pipe. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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Specification