Laser irradiation apparatus
View Patent ↗An object is to obtain an even energy distribution of a laser beam in one direction, thereby conducting a uniform laser annealing on a film. A laser irradiation apparatus comprising: a lens for dividing a laser beam in one direction; and an optical system for overlapping the divided laser beam, characterized in that the shape of the laser beam entering into the lens has edges vertical to the above-mentioned direction.
1. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:
removing at least one edge of a first laser beam, thereby forming a second laser beam having a straight line extending in a first direction;
dividing the second laser beam in a second direction vertical to the first direction by passing the second laser beam through a cylindrical lens group comprising a plurality of cylindrical lenses so that the straight line is parallel with the boundaries between the cylindrical lenses of the cylindrical lens group;
condensing the divided laser beams; and
irradiating a semiconductor film with the condensed laser beam.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said first laser beam is selected from the group consisting of KrF, XeCl, ArF, KrCl, Ar, YAG, and CO 2 laser beams.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said removing is performed by using a slit.
4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the slit comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, quartz ground glass, ceramic, and metal.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor film is crystallized by said irradiating with the condensed laser beam.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein impurities in said semiconductor film are activated by said irradiating with the condensed laser beam.
7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said condensing is performed using at least one of a triplet type symmetrical lens and a Tessar type symmetrical lens.
8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor device is an electronic equipment selected from the group consisting of a video camera, a digital camera, a rear-type projector, a front-type projector, a head mount display, a goggle-type display, a navigation system for vehicles, a personal computer, a portable information terminal, a mobile computer, a cellular phone, and an electronic book.
9. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:
removing at least one edge of a laser beam, thereby forming a second laser beam having a straight line extending in a first direction;
dividing the second laser beam in a second direction vertical to the first direction by passing the second laser beam through a cylindrical lens group comprising a plurality of cylindrical lenses so that the straight line is coincident with the boundaries between the cylindrical lenses of the cylindrical lens group;
condensing the divided laser beams; and
irradiating a semiconductor film with the condensed laser beam.
10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said first laser beam is selected from the group consisting of KrF, XeCl, ArF, KrCl, Ar, YAG, and CO 2 laser beams.
11. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said removing is performed by using a slit.
12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the slit comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, quartz ground glass, ceramic, and metal.
13. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said condensing is performed using at least one of a triplet type symmetrical lens and a Tessar type symmetrical lens.
14. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said semiconductor film is crystallized by said irradiating with the condensed laser beam.
15. A method according to claim 9 , wherein impurities in said semiconductor film are activated by said irradiating with the condensed laser beam.
16. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said semiconductor device is an electronic equipment selected from the group consisting of a video camera, a digital camera, a rear-type projector, a front-type projector, a head mount display, a goggle-type display, a navigation system for vehicles, a personal computer, a portable information terminal, a mobile computer, a cellular phone, and an electronic book.
17. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the removing is performed by using both ends of the cylindrical lenses in the cylindrical lens group, the both ends of the cylindrical lenses comprising quartz ground glass.
18. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:
removing at least one edge of a first laser beam, thereby forming a second laser beam having a straight line extending in a first direction;
dividing the second laser beam in a second direction vertical to the first direction by passing the second laser beam through a cylindrical lens group comprising a plurality of cylindrical lenses so that the straight line is parallel with the boundaries between the cylindrical lenses of the cylindrical lens group;
condensing the divided laser beams; and
scanning a semiconductor film with the condensed laser beam in the second direction.
19. A method according to claim 18 , wherein said first laser beam is selected from the group consisting of KrF, XeCl, ArF, KrCl, Ar, YAG, and CO 2 laser beams.
20. A method according to claim 18 , wherein said removing is performed by using a slit.
21. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the slit comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, quartz ground glass, ceramic, and metal.
22. A method according to claim 18 , wherein said condensing is performed using at least one of a triplet type symmetrical lens and a Tessar type symmetrical lens.
23. A method according to claim 18 , wherein said semiconductor film is crystallized by said scanning with the condensed laser beam.
24. A method according to claim 18 , wherein impurities in said semiconductor film are activated by said scanning with the condensed laser beam.
25. A method according to claim 18 , wherein said semiconductor device is an electronic equipment selected from the group consisting of a video camera, a digital camera, a rear-type projector, a front-type projector, a head mount display, a goggle-type display, a navigation system for vehicles, a personal computer, a portable information terminal, a mobile computer, a cellular phone, and an electronic book.
26. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:
removing at least one edge of a first laser beam, thereby forming a second laser beam having a straight line extending in a first direction;
dividing the second laser beam in a second direction vertical to the first direction by passing the second laser beam through a cylindrical lens group comprising a plurality of cylindrical lenses so that the straight line is coincident with the boundaries between the cylindrical lenses of the cylindrical lens group;
condensing the divided laser beams; and
scanning a semiconductor film with the condensed laser beam in the second direction.
27. A method according to claim 26 , wherein said first laser beam is selected from the group consisting of KrF, XeCl, ArF, KrCl, Ar, YAG, and CO 2 laser beams.
28. A method according to claim 26 , wherein said removing is performed by using a slit.
29. A method according to claim 28 , wherein the slit comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, quartz ground glass, ceramic, and metal.
30. A method according to claim 26 , wherein said semiconductor film is crystallized by said scanning with the condensed laser beam.
31. A method according to claim 26 , wherein impurities in said semiconductor film are activated by said scanning with the condensed laser beam.
32. A method according to claim 26 , wherein said condensing is performed using at least one of a triplet type symmetrical lens and a Tessar type symmetrical lens.
33. A method according to claim 26 , wherein said semiconductor device is an electronic equipment selected from the group consisting of a video camera, a digital camera, a rear-type projector, a front-type projector, a head mount display, a goggle-type display, a navigation system for vehicles, a personal computer, a portable information terminal, a mobile computer, a cellular phone, and an electronic book.
34. A method according to claim 26 , wherein the removing is performed by using both ends of the cylindrical lenses in the cylindrical lens group, the both ends of the cylindrical lenses comprising quartz ground glass.
35. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:
removing at least one edge of a first laser beam by using a slit, thereby forming a second laser beam having a straight line extending in a first direction;
dividing the second laser beam in a second direction vertical to the first direction by passing the second laser beam through a cylindrical lens group comprising a plurality of cylindrical lenses so that the straight line is parallel with the boundaries between the cylindrical lenses of the cylindrical lens group;
condensing the divided laser beams; and
irradiating a semiconductor film with the condensed laser beam.
36. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:
removing at least one edge of a laser beam, thereby forming a second laser beam having a straight line extending in a first direction;
dividing the second laser beam in a second direction vertical to the first direction by passing the second laser beam through a cylindrical lens group comprising a plurality of cylindrical lenses so that the straight line is coincident with the boundaries between the cylindrical lenses of the cylindrical lens group;
condensing the divided laser beams; and
irradiating a semiconductor film with the condensed laser beam.
37. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:
removing at least one edge of a first laser beam by using a slit, thereby forming a second laser beam having a straight line extending in a first direction;
dividing the second laser beam in a second direction vertical to the first direction by passing the second laser beam through a cylindrical lens group comprising a plurality of cylindrical lenses so that the straight line is parallel with the boundaries between the cylindrical lenses of the cylindrical lens group;
condensing the divided laser beams; and
scanning a semiconductor film with the condensed laser beam in the second direction.
38. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:
removing at least one edge of a first laser beam by using a slit, thereby forming a second laser beam having a straight line extending in a first direction;
dividing the second laser beam in a second direction vertical to the first direction by passing the second laser beam through a cylindrical lens group comprising a plurality of cylindrical lenses so that the straight line is coincident with the boundaries between the cylindrical lenses of the cylindrical lens group;
condensing the divided laser beams; and
scanning a semiconductor film with the condensed laser beam in the second direction.
39. A method according to any one of claims 35 to 38 , wherein said first laser beam is selected from the group consisting of KrF, XeCl, ArF, KrCl, Ar, YAG, and CO 2 laser beams.
40. A method according to any one of claims 35 and 36 , wherein said semiconductor film is crystallized by said irradiating with the condensed laser beam.
41. A method according to any one of claims 35 and 36 , wherein impurities in said semiconductor film are activated by said irradiating with the condensed laser beam.
42. A method according to any one of claims 35 to 38 wherein said condensing is performed using at least one of a triplet type symmetrical lens and a Tessar type symmetrical lens.
43. A method according to any one of claims 35 to 38 , wherein said semiconductor device is an electronic equipment selected from the group consisting of a video camera, a digital camera, a rear-type projector, a front-type projector, a head mount display, a goggle-type display, a navigation system for vehicles, a personal computer, a portable information terminal, a mobile computer, a cellular phone, and an electronic book.
44. A method according to any one of claims 36 and 38 , wherein the removing is performed by using both ends of the cylindrical lenses in the cylindrical lens group, the both ends of the cylindrical lenses comprising quartz ground glass.
45. A method according to any one of claims 35 to 38 , wherein the slit comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, quartz ground glass, ceramic, and metal.
46. A method according to any one of claims 9 , 26 , 36 and 38 , wherein the cylindrical lens group is shorter than the width of the laser beam.
47. A method according to any one of claims 37 and 38 , wherein said semiconductor film is crystallized by said scanning with the condensed laser beam.
48. A method according to any one of claims 37 and 38 , wherein impurities in said semiconductor film are activated by said scanning with the condensed laser beam.