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

• US 7,133,737 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• 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): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US10/305,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20030153999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 700/28, 700/48, 700/50, 700/104, 700/121, 700/166, 700/182, 216/65, 216/94, 438/463, 438/487, 438/535, 438/662, 117/44, 117/92, 117/103, 148/97
• US Class Current: 700/166
• 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 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 laser treatment system comprising:

means for inputting information on Computer Aided Design masks for a formation of a thin film transistor including a silicon island, a contact hole, and a wiring metal over a substrate by a person;

means for automatically extracting positional and directional information for irradiating a laser beam over the substrate provided with a marker in accordance with the information on the Computer Aided Design masks for the formation of thin film transistor;

means for obtaining an optimum driving condition of a laser system in accordance with the positional and directional information; and

means for controlling the laser system in accordance with the optimum driving condition of the laser system,

wherein a position to be scanned with the laser beam is controlled in accordance with the Computer Aided Design masks on the basis of a position of the marker.

2. The laser treatment system 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 laser treatment system according to claim 1,

wherein the optimum driving condition of the laser system is obtained by using an evolutionary technique represented by a genetic algorithm.

4. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program of the laser treatment system of claim 1.

5. The laser treatment system according to claim 1, the laser beam is irradiated over the substrate for crystallization.

6. A laser treatment system comprising:

means for inputting information on Computer Aided Design masks for a formation of a thin film transistor including a silicon island, a contact hole, and a wiring metal over a substrate by a person;

means for automatically extracting positional and directional information for irradiating a laser beam over the substrate provided with a marker in accordance with the information on the Computer Aided Design masks for the formation of thin film transistor and storing the positional and directional information in a database;

means for obtaining an optimum driving condition of a laser system in accordance with the positional and directional information stored in the database; and

means for controlling the laser system in accordance with the optimum driving condition of the laser system,

wherein a position to be scanned with the laser beam is controlled in accordance with the Computer Aided Design masks on the basis of a position of the marker.

7. The laser treatment system according to claim 6,

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.

8. The laser treatment system according to claim 6,

wherein the optimum driving condition of the laser system is obtained by using an evolutionary technique represented by a genetic algorithm.

9. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program of the laser treatment system of claim 6.

10. The laser treatment system according to claim 6, the laser beam is irradiated over the substrate for crystallization.

11. A laser treatment system comprising:

means for inputting information on Computer Aided Design masks for a formation of a thin film transistor including a silicon island, a contact hole, and a wiring metal over a substrate by a person;

means for automatically extracting positional and directional information for irradiating a laser beam over the substrate provided with a marker in accordance with the information on the Computer Aided Design masks for the formation of thin film transistor and storing the positional and directional information in a database;

means for obtaining an optimum driving condition of a laser system for minimizing laser treatment time 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 stored in the database; and

means for controlling the laser system in accordance with the optimum driving condition of the laser system,

wherein a position to be scanned with the laser beam is controlled in accordance with the Computer Aided Design masks on the basis of a position of the marker.

12. The laser treatment system according to claim 11,

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.

13. The laser treatment system according to claim 11,

wherein the optimum driving condition of the laser system is obtained by using an evolution-theoretical technique represented by a genetic algorithm.

14. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program of the laser treatment system of claim 11.

15. The laser treatment system according to claim 11, the laser beam is irradiated over the substrate for crystallization.

16. A laser treatment system comprising:

means for inputting information on Computer Aided Design masks for a formation of a thin film transistor including a silicon island, a contact hole, and a wiring metal over a substrate by a person;

means for automatically extracting positional and directional information for irradiating a laser beam over the substrate provided with a marker in accordance with the information on the Computer Aided Design masks for the formation of thin film transistor and storing the positional and directional information in a database;

means for obtaining an optimum driving condition of a laser system for minimizing laser treatment time 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 stored in the database; and

means for controlling the laser system in accordance with the optimum driving condition of the laser system,

wherein a position to be scanned with the laser beam is controlled in accordance with the Computer Aided Design masks on the basis of a position of the marker.

17. The laser treatment system according to claim 16,

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.

18. The laser treatment system according to claim 16,

wherein the optimum driving condition of the laser system is obtained by using an evolution-theoretical technique represented by a genetic algorithm.

19. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program of the laser treatment system of claim 16.

20. The laser treatment system according to claim 16, the laser beam is irradiated over the substrate for crystallization.

21. A laser treatment system comprising:

means for inputting information on Computer Aided Design masks for a formation of a thin film transistor including a silicon island, a contact hole, and a wiring metal over a substrate by a person;

means for automatically extracting positional and directional information for irradiating a laser beam over the substrate provided with a marker in accordance with the information on the Computer Aided Design masks for the formation of thin film transistor;

means for obtaining an optimum driving condition of a laser system for minimizing laser treatment time 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

means for controlling the laser system in accordance with the optimum driving condition of the laser system,

wherein a position to be scanned with the laser beam is controlled in accordance with the Computer Aided Design masks on the basis of a position of the marker.

22. The laser treatment system according to claim 21,

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.

23. The laser treatment system according to claim 21,

wherein the optimum driving condition of the laser system is obtained by using an evolution-theoretical technique represented by a genetic algorithm.

24. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program of the laser treatment system of claim 21.

25. The laser treatment system according to claim 21, the laser beam is irradiated over the substrate for crystallization.