Abstract: To improve the laser annealing process for polycrystallizing amorphous silicon to form silicon thin films having large crystal particle diameters at a high throughput, the present invention is directed to a process of crystallization by irradiation of a semiconductor thin film formed on a substrate with pulsed laser light. The process comprises having a means to shape laser light into a linear beam and a means to periodically and spatially modulate the intensity of pulsed laser in the direction of the long axis of the linear beam by passing through a phase-shifting stripy pattern perpendicular to the long axis, and collectively forming for each shot a polycrystalline film composed of crystals which have grown in a certain direction over the entire region irradiated with the linear beam.

Abstract: A display device includes a pixel region having a plurality of pixels and a peripheral circuit region disposed at a periphery of the pixel region for driving the pixels. The peripheral circuit region includes transistors fabricated from polycrystalline semiconductor and having a semiconductor crystalline grain of a first kind in a channel region thereof, wherein a grain size of the semiconductor crystalline grain of the first kind is at least 3 ?m. The pixel region includes transistors fabricated from polycrystalline semiconductor and having a semiconductor crystalline grain of a second kind in a channel region thereof, wherein a grain size of the semiconductor crystalline grain of the second kind is at least 0.05 ?m.

Abstract: To improve the laser annealing process for polycrystallizing amorphous silicon to form silicon thin films having large crystal particle diameters at a high throughput, the present invention is directed to a process of crystallization by irradiation of a semiconductor thin film formed on a substrate with pulsed laser light. The process comprises having a means to shape laser light into a linear beam and a means to periodically and spatially modulate the intensity of pulsed laser in the direction of the long axis of the linear beam by passing through a phase-shifting stripy pattern perpendicular to the long axis, and collectively forming for each shot a polycrystalline film composed of crystals which have grown in a certain direction over the entire region irradiated with the linear beam.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing method of a high performance active matrix substrate at a high throughput with a less expensive apparatus, and an image display device using the active matrix substrate. On a stage moving in the short axis direction X and long axis direction Y on a rail, a glass substrate is carried, which has an amorphous silicon semiconductor film formed. Polycrystallized and large grain silicon film may be obtained by intensity modulating the pulsed laser beam in a line beam shape by means of a phase shift mask with a periodicity in the long axis direction Y of the laser beam, moving the laser beam randomly in the modulation direction of the amorphous silicon semiconductor film formed on the glass substrate to expose to crystallize the film. The image display device may incorporate an active matrix substrate having active elements such as thin film transistors formed by this silicon film.

Abstract: A display device includes a pixel region having a plurality of pixels and a peripheral circuit region disposed at a periphery of the pixel region for driving the pixels. The peripheral circuit region includes transistors fabricated from polycrystalline semiconductor and having a semiconductor crystalline grain of a first kind in a channel region thereof, wherein a grain size of the semiconductor crystalline grain of the first kind is at least 3 ?m. The pixel region includes transistors fabricated from polycrystalline semiconductor and having a semiconductor crystalline grain of a second kind in a channel region thereof, wherein a grain size of the semiconductor crystalline grain of the second kind is at least 0.05 ?m.

Abstract: A restriction flowmeter including a cylinder through whose interior a fluid to be measured flows and a pipe for forming a restriction structure penetrating the cylinder in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the cylinder, the pipe having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder, characterized in that a first pressure measuring hole is formed on the most restricted cross section perpendicular to the flow direction and a second pressure measuring hole is formed on a wall of the cylinder located upstream which is away from the most restricted cross section by ½ or more of the inner diameter of the cylinder.

Abstract: The average film thickness of an amorphous silicon film formed on a substrate is measured. Then, the amorphous silicon film is irradiated with a laser beam to form a polysilicon film. The grain size distribution of the polysilicon film is measured. An optimum value of energy density of laser beam irradiation is calculated on the basis of grain size values measured at two points A and B of the polysilicon film. Then, the average film thickness of a next amorphous silicon film is measured. A value of energy density of laser beam irradiation is calculated on the basis of the average film thickness of the next amorphous silicon film and the average film thickness of the previous amorphous silicon film. The value of energy density is fed back to a laser beam irradiation system.

Abstract: A surface roughness of a polycrystalline semiconductor film to be formed by a laser annealing method is reduced. A transmittance distribution filter is disposed at the optical system of a laser annealing apparatus. The transmittance distribution filter controls an irradiation light intensity distribution along a scanning direction of a substrate formed with an amorphous silicon semiconductor thin film to have a distribution having an energy part equal to or higher than a fine crystal threshold on a high energy light intensity side and an energy part for melting and combining only a surface layer. This transmittance distribution filter is applied to an excimer laser annealing method, a phase shift stripe method or an SLS method respectively using a general line beam to thereby reduce the height of protrusions on a polycrystalline surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a polycrystal silicon film which comprises a step of forming a polycrystal silicon film by light irradiation of a silicon film set on a substrate, and a step of selecting substrate samples having an average grain size in a plane of the sample of 500 nm or more. According to the present invention, stable production of a high-performance poly-silicon TFT liquid crystal display becomes possible.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing method of a high performance active matrix substrate at a high throughput with a less expensive apparatus, and an image display device using the active matrix substrate. On a stage moving in the short axis direction X and long axis direction Y on a rail, a glass substrate is carried, which has an amorphous silicon semiconductor film formed. Polycrystallized and large grain silicon film may be obtained by intensity modulating the pulsed laser beam in a line beam shape by means of a phase shift mask with a periodicity in the long axis direction Y of the laser beam, moving the laser beam randomly in the modulation direction of the amorphous silicon semiconductor film formed on the glass substrate to expose to crystallize the film. The image display device may incorporate an active matrix substrate having active elements such as thin film transistors formed by this silicon film.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a polycrystal silicon film which comprises a step of forming a polycrystal silicon film by light irraditation of a silicon film set on a substrate, and a step of selecting substrate samples having an average grain size in a plane of the sample of 500 nm or more. According to the present invention, stable production of a high-performance poly-silicon TFT liquid crystal display becomes possible.

Abstract: A restriction flowmeter including a cylinder through whose interior a fluid to be measured flows and a pipe for forming a restriction structure penetrating the cylinder in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the cylinder, the pipe having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder, characterized in that a first pressure measuring hole is formed on the most restricted cross section perpendicular to the flow direction and a second pressure measuring hole is formed on a wall of the cylinder located upstream which is away from the most restricted cross section by ½ or more of the inner diameter of the cylinder.

Abstract: Improving the laser annealing method which is the process of polycrystallizing amorphous silicon, thereby forming with a high throughput silicon thin film in which the crystal particle diameter is sufficiently large. In a process of crystallization by irradiation of a semiconductor thin film formed on a substrate with pulsed laser light, one produces a semiconductor thin film which comprises having a means to shape laser light into a linear beam and a means to periodically and spatially modulate the intensity of pulsed laser in the direction of the long axis of the linear beam by passing through a phase-shifting stripy pattern perpendicular to the long axis, and collectively forming for each shot a polycrystalline film composed of crystals which have grown in a certain direction over the entire region irradiated with the linear beam. The crystal grain size is ½ of the hillock interval.

Abstract: A display device includes a pixel region having a plurality of pixels and a peripheral circuit region disposed at a periphery of the pixel region for driving the pixels. The peripheral circuit region includes transistors fabricated from polycrystalline semiconductor and having a semiconductor crystalline grain of a first kind in a channel region thereof, wherein a grain size of the semiconductor crystalline grain of the first kind is at least 3 &mgr;m. The pixel region includes transistors fabricated from polycrystalline semiconductor and having a semiconductor crystalline grain of a second kind in a channel region thereof, wherein a grain size of the semiconductor crystalline grain of the second kind is at least 0.05 &mgr;m.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a polycrystal silicon film which comprises a step of forming a polycrystal silicon film by light irradiation of a silicon film set on a substrate, and a step of selecting substrate samples having an average grain size in a plane of the sample of 500 nm or more. According to the present invention, stable production of a high-performance poly-silicon TFT liquid crystal display becomes possible.

Abstract: A display device includes a pixel region having a plurality of pixels and a peripheral circuit region disposed at a periphery of the pixel region for driving the pixels. The peripheral circuit region includes transistors fabricated from polycrystalline semiconductor and having a semiconductor crystalline grain of a first kind in a channel region thereof, wherein a grain size of the semiconductor crystalline grain of the first kind is at least 3 &mgr;m. The pixel region includes transistors fabricated from polycrystalline semiconductor and having a semiconductor crystalline grain of a second kind in a channel region thereof, wherein a grain size of the semiconductor crystalline grain of the second kind is at least 0.05 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has a thin film transistor including an insulating substrate, an island made of a polycrystalline semiconductor material and disposed on the insulating substrate, a conductive layer made of the polycrystalline semiconductor material and at least one of metals and metallic silicides and surrounding the island, a source region and a drain region spaced from the source region, the source region and the drain region being formed in said island, a gate electrode disposed on the island with an insulating film interposed between the island and the gate electrode, the gate facing a spacing between the source region and the drain region.

Abstract: An energy filter has a plurality of deflection means and is constructed by using the plural deflection means so that an average track of an electron beam is symmetric and the normal line to a symmetric plane is inclined against an incident direction of the electron beam.

Abstract: A method for preparing a solution containing water-soluble minerals comprising the steps of pulverizing and mixing starch or cereal, seed having water-soluble mineral contents and egg shell, adding water to form an aqueous mixture and agitating the same while heating to approximately 80.degree. C. to form a viscous mixture, fermenting the mixture by adding koji to the mixture, and aging the fermented mixture to cause the water-soluble mineral contents in the seed to be dissolved into the aqueous mixture and filtering the resultant fermented and aged mixture to obtain the solution of water-soluble minerals.