Program for controlling laser apparatus and recording medium for recording program for controlling laser apparatus and capable of being read out by computer

• US 8,338,216 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Miyanaga, Akiharu, Mukao, Kyouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEVENSON, ANDRE C
• Application Number:
  US12/553,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20100041247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 438/62
• US Class Current: 438/65
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4097 characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM G05B19/4093 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45027 Masking, project image on wafer semiconductor, photo tracer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to solve problems of treatment time when using an SLS method or continuous-oscillation laser. An indispensable portion is scanned with a laser beam in order to crystallize a semiconductor film by driving a laser and so on in accordance with the positions of islands instead of scanning and irradiating the whole semiconductor film. The present invention makes it possible to omit the time for irradiating a portion to be removed through patterning after crystallizing the semiconductor film with a laser beam and greatly shorten the treatment time for one substrate.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising steps of:

forming a semiconductor film provided with a marker in accordance with information on computer aided design masks for forming a thin film transistor including a source, channel and drain over a substrate;

extracting a positional and directional information of the source, channel and drain from the information on computer aided design masks;

obtaining an optimum driving condition of a laser system by considering speed of drive of the laser system and time required for changing drives of the laser system in accordance with the positional and directional information; and

minimizing laser treatment time for crystallizing the semiconductor film by selectively irradiating the semiconductor film with a laser beam in accordance with the optimum driving condition of the laser system.

2. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the optimum driving condition of the laser system is obtained by using one of optimization algorithm among a linear programming method, branch and bound method, neuron circuit network, and annealing method.

3. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the optimum driving condition of the laser system is obtained by using an evolution-theoretical technique represented by a genetic algorithm.

4. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the laser beam is emitted from a gas laser.

17. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein information for changing a shape of a beam spot of the laser beam is based on the information on computer aided design masks.

21. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a step of patterning the crystallized semiconductor film.

5. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising steps of:

forming a semiconductor film provided with a marker in accordance with information on computer aided design masks for forming a thin film transistor including a source, channel and drain over a substrate;

extracting a positional and directional information of the source, channel and drain from the information on computer aided design masks;

obtaining an optimum driving condition of a laser system by considering speed of drive of the laser system, time required for changing drives of the laser system, and time required for starting actual driving after generating a driving command in accordance with the positional and directional information; and

minimizing laser treatment time for crystallizing the semiconductor film by selectively irradiating the semiconductor film with a laser beam in accordance with the optimum driving condition of the laser system.

6. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the optimum driving condition of the laser system is obtained by using one of optimization algorithm among a linear programming method, branch and bound method, neuron circuit network, and annealing method.

7. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the optimum driving condition of the laser system is obtained by using an evolution-theoretical technique represented by a genetic algorithm.

8. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5, the laser beam is emitted from a gas laser.

18. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein information for changing a shape of a beam spot of the laser beam is based on the information on computer aided design masks.

22. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 5, further comprising a step of patterning the crystallized semiconductor film.

9. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising steps of:

forming a semiconductor film provided with a marker in accordance with information on computer aided design masks for forming a thin film transistor including a source, channel and drain over a substrate;

extracting a positional and directional information of the source, channel and drain from the information on computer aided design masks;

obtaining an optimum driving condition of at least one of a laser, mirror, slit, and stage in accordance with the positional and directional information; and

minimizing laser treatment time for crystallizing the semiconductor film by selectively irradiating the semiconductor film with a laser beam in accordance with the optimum driving condition of at least one of the laser, mirror, slit, and stage.

10. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the optimum driving condition is obtained by using one of optimization algorithm among a linear programming method, branch and bound method, neuron circuit network, and annealing method.

11. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the optimum driving condition is obtained by using an evolutionary technique represented by a genetic algorithm.

12. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9, the laser beam is emitted from a gas laser.

19. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein information for changing a shape of a beam spot of the laser beam is based on the information on computer aided design masks.

23. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9, further comprising a step of patterning the crystallized semiconductor film.

13. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising steps of:

forming a semiconductor film provided with a marker in accordance with information on computer aided design masks for forming a thin film transistor including a source, channel and drain over a substrate;

extracting a positional and directional information of the source, channel and drain from the information on computer aided design masks;

obtaining an optimum driving condition of at least one of a laser, mirror, slit, and stage in accordance with the positional and directional information; and

minimizing laser treatment time for crystallizing the semiconductor film by selectively irradiating the semiconductor film with a laser beam in accordance with the optimum driving condition of at least one of the laser, mirror, slit, and stage

wherein a scanning direction with the laser beam is parallel with a direction in which carriers in the channel move.

14. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the optimum driving condition is obtained by using one of optimization algorithm among a linear programming method, branch and bound method, neuron circuit network, and annealing method.

15. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the optimum driving condition is obtained by using an evolutionary technique represented by a genetic algorithm.

16. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 13, the laser beam is emitted from a gas laser.

20. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein information for changing a shape of a beam spot of the laser beam is based on the information on computer aided design masks.

24. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 13, further comprising a step of patterning the crystallized semiconductor film.