Semiconductor fabricating apparatus

• US 7,439,115 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2006
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ohtani, Hisashi, Hiroki, Masaaki, Shiga, Aiko, Tanaka, Koichiro, Akiba, Mai, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Mulpuri; Savitri
• Application Number:
  US11/370,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 438141-166, 438795-799, 438479-487
• US Class Current: 438/166
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/04 Automatically aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam, e.g. using the back-scattered light
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0604 by a combination of beams
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/064 by means of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors or prisms
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0648 comprising lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0665 by beam condensation on the workpiece, e.g. for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/12 in a special atmosphere, e.g. in an enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/1224 in vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/123 in an atmosphere of particular gases
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/127 in an enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02381 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0242 Crystalline insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02422 Non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass, polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02425 Conductive materials, e.g. metallic silicides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02488 Insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02502 consisting of two layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02672 using crystallisation enhancing elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02678 Beam shaping, e.g. using a mask
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02683 Continuous wave laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02686 Pulsed laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02691 : Scanning of a beam

Abstract

Providing a semiconductor fabricating apparatus using a laser crystallization technique for enhancing the processing efficiency for substrate and for increasing the mobility of a semiconductor film. The semiconductor fabricating apparatus of multi-chamber system includes a film formation equipment for forming a semiconductor film, and a laser irradiation equipment. The laser irradiation equipment includes first means for controlling a laser irradiation position relative to an irradiation object, second means (laser oscillator) for emitting laser light, third means (optical system) for processing or converging the laser light, and fourth means for controlling the oscillation of the second means and for controlling the first means in a manner that a beam spot of the laser light processed by the third means may cover a place determined based on data on a mask configuration (pattern information).

Claims

1. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device having thin film transistors comprising:

forming an amorphous semiconductor film on an insulating surface;

forming a marker on the amorphous semiconductor film;

selectively irradiating a laser light to perform crystallization to a region in which active layers of the thin film transistors are formed, based on information on arrangement of the thin film transistors with the marker used as a reference, and

a direction in which the laser light is relatively moved on the amorphous semiconductor film is parallel to a direction in which carriers move in channel formation regions in the thin film transistors,

wherein the amorphous semiconductor film is melted over entire thickness thereof through irradiation of the laser light.

2. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a solid laser oscillation apparatus is used as a light source for the laser light.

3. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein at least one or a plurality of kinds selected from the group consisting of a YAG laser oscillation apparatus, a YVO₄ laser oscillation apparatus, a YLF laser oscillation apparatus, a YAlO₃ laser oscillation apparatus, a glass laser oscillation apparatus, a ruby laser oscillation apparatus, an alexandrite laser oscillation apparatus, a sapphire laser oscillation apparatus, and a forsterite laser oscillation apparatus are used as a light source for the laser light.

4. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the laser light is a second harmonic, a third harmonic, or a fourth harmonic.

5. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the laser light is converged onto the amorphous semiconductor film through a cylindrical lens.

6. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a relative movement direction of the spot on the amorphous semiconductor film is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the spot.

13. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the laser light is a laser light of pulse oscillation.

14. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the laser light is a laser light of continuous oscillation.

7. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device having thin film transistors comprising:

forming an amorphous semiconductor film on an insulating surface;

forming a marker on the amorphous semiconductor film;

determining a direction in which a spot of a laser light is relatively moved so as to be parallel to a direction in which carriers move in channel formation regions of the thin film transistors, based on information on arrangement of the thin film transistors with the marker used as a reference; and

selectively irradiating the laser light to perform crystallization to a region in which active layers of the thin film transistors are formed, based on information on arrangement of the thin film transistors with the marker used as a reference,

wherein the amorphous semiconductor film is melted over entire thickness thereof through irradiation of the laser light.

8. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein a solid laser oscillation apparatus is used as a light source for the laser light.

9. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein at least one or a plurality of kinds selected from the group consisting of a YAG laser oscillation apparatus, a YVO₄ laser oscillation apparatus, a YLF laser oscillation apparatus, a YAlO₃ laser oscillation apparatus, a glass laser oscillation apparatus, a ruby laser oscillation apparatus, an alexandrite laser oscillation apparatus, a sapphire laser oscillation apparatus, and a forsterite laser oscillation apparatus are used as a light source for the laser light.

10. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the laser light is a second harmonic, a third harmonic, or a fourth harmonic.

11. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the laser light is converged onto the amorphous semiconductor film through a cylindrical lens.

12. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein a relative movement direction of the spot on the amorphous semiconductor film is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the spot.

15. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the laser light is a laser light of pulse oscillation.

16. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the laser light is a laser light of continuous oscillation.