Granted Patent B2

US 12,521,819 · App. 16/914,594 · Granted Jan 13, 2026

Inventors: Seongkeun Cho (Suwon-si, KR); Hyukjun Kwon (Anyang-si, KR)

Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.; EO Technics Co., Ltd.

B23K26/34B23K26/0648B23K26/073G02B3/0037G02B27/18H01L21/268H01L21/324H01L21/67098H01S3/0007B23K2101/40

Abstract

Claims (68)

1 . A laser annealing system, comprising:

a stage receiving a substrate;

a plurality of laser devices generating a plurality of laser beams and providing the laser beams to the substrate;

a plurality of delivery mirrors disposed between the plurality of laser devices and the stage, the plurality of delivery mirrors used to deliver the laser beams;

a homogenizing system disposed between the plurality of delivery mirrors and the stage, the homogenizing system including an array lens having a plurality of lens cells which allow the laser beams to pass therethrough and homogenize the laser beams; and

an imaging optical system disposed between the homogenizing system and the stage to image the laser beams on the substrate,

wherein the delivery mirrors comprise:

first delivery mirrors;

second delivery mirrors disposed between the first delivery mirrors and the homogenizing system to be configured to collimate the laser beams in a first direction, and

third delivery mirrors disposed between the second delivery mirrors and the homogenizing system,

wherein the third delivery mirrors include an upper mirror having second circular reflection surface as second outer mirror,

wherein the second delivery mirrors include:

first outer mirror having first circular reflection surfaces; and

first and second inner mirrors disposed between the first and second outer mirrors, the first and second inner mirrors having first and second semicircular reflection surfaces, respectively,

wherein the first and second outer mirrors and the first and second inner mirrors are arranged in a first direction,

wherein the first inner mirror includes a first vertical edge and a first rounded edge opposite to the first vertical edge,

wherein the second inner mirror includes a second vertical edge and a second rounded edge opposite to the second vertical edge,

wherein the first and second vertical edges disposed adjacent to a center line between centers of the first and second circular reflection surfaces of the first and second outer mirrors, and

wherein the first and second vertical edges have a distance greater than a diameter of one of the laser beams in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

2 . The laser annealing system of claim 1 , further includes beam expanders disposed between the first delivery mirrors and the second delivery mirrors to adjust a diameter of each of the laser beams to a value that is 12 times a width of each of the lens cells or smaller.

3 . The laser annealing system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of delivery mirrors collimates the laser beams in such a way that the laser beams are spaced apart from each other by a distance corresponding to the width of each of the lens cells.

4 . The laser annealing system of claim 1 , wherein a width of each of the lens cells is 2 mm, and

a distance between two adjacent ones of the laser beams is 2 mm.

5 . The laser annealing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of delivery mirrors adjusts each of the laser beams to have a diameter ranging from 20 mm to 24 mm.

6 . The laser annealing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of delivery mirrors further comprise:

fourth delivery mirror disposed between the third delivery mirrors and the homogenizing system.

7 . The laser annealing system of claim 6 , wherein the third delivery mirrors comprise:

the upper mirror having the second circular reflection surface; and

an other mirror disposed between the upper mirror and the fourth mirror.

8 . The laser annealing system of claim 1 , wherein the laser devices comprise:

first and second lower laser devices;

first and second upper laser devices disposed on the first and second lower laser devices; and

first to third intermediate laser devices disposed between the first and second lower laser devices and the first and second upper laser devices.

9 . The laser annealing system of claim 8 , wherein the laser devices further comprise:

a third lower laser device disposed between the first and second lower laser devices; and

a third upper laser device disposed between the first and second upper laser devices.

10 . A laser annealing system, comprising:

a stage receiving a substrate;

a plurality of laser devices generating a plurality of laser beams and providing the laser beams onto the substrate, the plurality of laser devices comprising

first and second lower laser devices linearly arranged in a first direction,

first to third intermediate laser devices disposed on the first and second lower laser devices and linearly arranged in the first direction, and

first and second upper laser devices disposed on the first to third intermediate laser devices and linearly arranged in the first direction with the plurality of laser devices including seven to nine laser devices together two-dimensionally arranged to constitute a planar light source and with each of the laser beams output from each of the seven to nine laser devices;

a homogenizing system disposed between the light source and the stage, the homogenizing system including array lenses having a plurality of lens cells which allow the laser beams to pass therethrough and homogenize the laser beams;

a plurality of delivery mirrors disposed between the homogenizing system and the light source to deliver the laser beams and beam expanders disposed between the delivery mirrors to adjust a diameter of each of the laser beams to a value that is 10 to 12 times a width of each of the lens cells of the array lenses wherein the laser beams are spaced apart from each other; and

an imaging optical system disposed between the homogenizing system and the stage to image the laser beams on the substrate,

wherein the delivery mirrors comprise:

first delivery mirrors;

second delivery mirrors disposed between the first delivery mirrors and the homogenizing system to be configured to collimate the laser beams in a first direction, and

third delivery mirrors disposed between the second delivery mirrors and the homogenizing system,

wherein the third delivery mirrors include an upper mirror having second circular reflection surface as second outer mirror,

wherein the second delivery mirrors include:

first outer mirror having first circular reflection surfaces; and

first and second inner mirrors disposed between the first and second outer mirrors, the first and second inner mirrors having first and second semicircular reflection surfaces, respectively,

wherein the first and second outer mirrors and the first and second inner mirrors are arranged in a first direction,

wherein the first inner mirror includes a first vertical edge and a first rounded edge opposite to the first vertical edge,

wherein the second inner mirror includes a second vertical edge and a second rounded edge opposite to the second vertical edge,

wherein the first and second vertical edges disposed adjacent to a center line between centers of the first and second circular reflection surfaces of the first and second outer mirrors, and

wherein the first and second vertical edges have a distance greater than a diameter of one of the laser beams in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

11 . The laser annealing system of claim 10 , wherein each of the lens cells has a square shape.

12 . The laser annealing system of claim 10 , wherein the lens cells comprise:

first lens cells; and

second lens cells having a shape different from that of the first lens cells.

13 . The laser annealing system of claim 12 , wherein the array lenses comprise:

first array lenses having the first lens cells; and

second array lenses having the second lens cells,

wherein the first array lenses and the second array lenses are alternately arranged.

14 . The laser annealing system of claim 13 , wherein the first lens cells have a vertical pillar shape, and

the second lens cells have a horizontal pillar shape.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (31)