Making Method of Sample for Evaluation of Laser Irradiation Position and Making Apparatus Thereof and Evaluation Method of Stability of Laser Irradiation Position and Evaluation Apparatus Thereof

• US 20120184055A1
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kawakami, Ryusuke, Masaki, Miyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,339,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/16
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/03 Observing, e.g. monitoring, the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/083 Devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least one axial direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4257 applied to monitoring the characteristics of a beam, e.g. laser beam, headlamp beam monitoring arrangements for lasers in general H01S3/0014
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/268 using electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/20 such devices or parts thereof comprising amorphous semiconductor materials

Abstract

A method for making a sample for evaluation of laser irradiation position and evaluating the sample, and an apparatus which is switchable between a first mode of modification of semiconductor and a second mode of making and evaluating the sample. Specifically, a sample is made by irradiating a semiconductor substrate for evaluation with a pulse laser beam while the semiconductor substrate is moved for evaluation at an evaluation speed higher than a modifying treatment speed, each relative positional information between pulse-irradiated regions in the sample is extracted, and stability of the each relative positional information between pulse-irradiated regions is evaluated. The evaluation speed is such a speed that separates the pulse-irradiated regions on the sample from each other in a moving direction.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method comprising the steps of:

moving a substrate comprising a semiconductor in a predetermined direction at an evaluation speed while the substrate comprising the semiconductor is irradiated with a plurality of pulse laser beams, thereby forming a sample for evaluation,

wherein;

the sample contains pulse-irradiated regions; and

each of the pulse-irradiated regions is formed by a single pulse laser beam that corresponds to one of the plurality of the pulse laser beams.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

taking image data of the sample;

extracting each relative positional information between the pulse-irradiated regions in the sample from the image data; and

evaluating stability of the each relative positional information between the pulse-irradiated regions in the sample,

wherein;

the each relative positional information contains a distance between adjacent pulse-irradiated regions; and

the evaluation speed is such a speed that separates the pulse-irradiated regions in the sample from each other in the predetermined direction.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the pulse-irradiated regions mean regions that obtain an energy density greater than or equal to 90% of a maximum energy density of the pulse laser beams.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined direction is in parallel with a direction where the pulse-irradiated regions in the sample are separated from each other.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the taking image data of the sample is performed while moving the sample at a predetermined pitch.

21. A method comprising the steps of:

moving a substrate comprising a semiconductor in a predetermined direction at an evaluation speed while the substrate comprising the semiconductor is irradiated with a plurality of pulse laser beams, thereby forming a sample for evaluation,

judging whether a condition that each positional relationship between adjacent irradiation regions is in a predetermined acceptable range is satisfied for each adjacent irradiated region; and

judging whether a predetermined acceptable number or more number of portions not satisfying the condition continuously exist in the sample,

wherein;

the sample contains pulse-irradiated regions; and

each of the pulse-irradiated regions is formed by a single pulse laser beam that corresponds to one of the plurality of the pulse laser beams.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

taking image data of the sample;

extracting each relative positional information between pulse-irradiated regions in the sample from the image data;

evaluating stability of the each relative positional information between the pulse-irradiated regions in the sample;

wherein;

the each relative positional information contains a distance between adjacent pulse-irradiated regions; and

the evaluation speed is such a speed that separates the pulse-irradiated regions in the sample from each other in the predetermined direction.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the pulse-irradiated regions mean regions that obtain an energy density greater than or equal to 90% of a maximum energy density of the pulse laser beams.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the predetermined direction is in parallel with a direction where the pulse-irradiated regions in the sample are separated from each other.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the taking image data of the sample is performed while moving the sample at a predetermined pitch.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a laser light source configured to emit a pulse laser beam at the same repetition rate;

a stage configured to put a substrate comprising a semiconductor or a sample on; and

a moving device configured to make the stage move;

wherein;

the moving device is switchable between a first operation mode in which the stage is moved at a modifying treatment speed in modification of semiconductor and a second operation mode in which the stage is moved at an evaluation speed in making the sample for evaluation of laser irradiation position; and

the evaluation speed is such a speed to form each of the pulse-irradiated regions in the sample by a single pulse of the pulse laser beam when irradiating the substrate comprising the semiconductor or the sample with the pulse laser beam while moving the stage with the moving device.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26 further comprising:

an imaging device configured to take image data; and

a judging device configured to evaluate each relative positional information between pulse-irradiated regions in the sample from the image data.

28. A semiconductor modifying treatment apparatus comprising the apparatus according to claim 26.

29. The apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a conversion device configured to switch the first operation mode in which a pulse irradiation portion is moved at the modifying treatment speed in modification of semiconductor and the second operation mode in which the pulse irradiation portion is moved at the evaluation speed in making the sample for evaluation of laser irradiation position.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a laser light source configured to emit a pulse laser beam at the same repetition rate;

a stage configured to put a substrate comprising a semiconductor or a sample on;

a moving device configured to make the stage move; and

a control device configured to control the laser light source and the moving device so that the substrate comprising the semiconductor on the stage is irradiated with the pulse laser beam;

wherein;

the moving device is switchable between a first operation mode in which the stage is moved at a modifying treatment speed in modification of semiconductor and a second operation mode in which the stage is moved at an evaluation speed in making the sample for evaluation of laser irradiation position; and

the evaluation speed is such a speed to form each of the pulse-irradiated regions in the sample by a single pulse of the pulse laser beam when irradiating the substrate comprising the semiconductor or the sample with the pulse laser beam while moving the stage with the moving device.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30 further comprising:

an imaging device configured to take image data; and

a judging device configured to evaluate each relative positional information between pulse-irradiated regions in the sample from the image data.

32. A semiconductor modifying treatment apparatus comprising the apparatus according to claim 30.

33. The apparatus according to claim 30, further comprising a conversion device configured to switch the first operation mode in which a pulse irradiation portion is moved at the modifying treatment speed in modification of semiconductor and the second operation mode in which the pulse irradiation portion is moved at the evaluation speed in making the sample for evaluation of laser irradiation position.