Abstract: A projection apparatus has a hologram recording medium configured to be capable of diffusing coherent light beams, an irradiation unit configured to irradiate coherent light beams to the hologram recording medium so that the coherent light beams scan the hologram recording medium, a light modulator that is illuminated by coherent light beams incident on and diffused at respective points of the hologram recording medium from the irradiation unit, a projection optical system configured to project a modulated image generated by the light modulator onto a scattering plane, and an imaging optical system provided between the hologram recording medium and the light modulator, configured to converge the coherent light beams diffused at respective points of the hologram recording medium to illuminate the light modulator.

Abstract: To provide an illumination device and a projection type image display device that illuminate an area to be illuminated (image formation area) under conditions where speckle noise is less noticeable. An illumination device according to the present invention includes: a light source 11 that emits coherent light; an optical scanning section 15 that scans the coherent light emitted from the light source 11; and an optical path conversion system 21 configured to allow the coherent light scanned by the optical scanning section 15 to illuminate an area to be illuminated sequentially in an overlapping manner. An incident angle of the coherent light that enters respective points of the area to be illuminated changes with time.

Abstract: To provide an illumination device and a projection type image display device that illuminate an area to be illuminated (image formation area) under conditions where speckle noise is less noticeable. An illumination device according to the present invention includes: a light source 11 that emits coherent light; an optical scanning section 15 that scans the coherent light emitted from the light source 11; a lens array 22 including a plurality of element lenses and configured to diverge the light scanned by the optical scanning section; an optical path conversion system 23 configured to control a diverging angle of the diverging light to be emitted from respective points of the lens array 22 and to allow the diverging light whose diverging angle has been controlled to illuminate an area to be illuminated sequentially in an overlapping manner.

Abstract: To provide an illumination device and a projection type image display device that illuminate an area to be illuminated (image formation area) under conditions where speckle noise is less noticeable. An illumination device according to the present invention includes: a light source 11 that emits coherent light; an optical scanning section 15 that scans the coherent light emitted from the light source 11; and an optical path conversion system 21 configured to allow the coherent light scanned by the optical scanning section 15 to illuminate an area to be illuminated sequentially in an overlapping manner. An incident angle of the coherent light that enters respective points of the area to be illuminated changes with time.

Abstract: To provide an illumination device and a projection type image display device that illuminate an area to be illuminated (image formation area) under conditions where speckle noise is less noticeable. An illumination device according to the present invention includes: a light source 11 that emits coherent light; an optical scanning section 15 that scans the coherent light emitted from the light source 11; a lens array 22 including a plurality of element lenses and configured to diverge the light scanned by the optical scanning section; an optical path conversion system 23 configured to control a diverging angle of the diverging light to be emitted from respective points of the lens array 22 and to allow the diverging light whose diverging angle has been controlled to illuminate an area to be illuminated sequentially in an overlapping manner.

Abstract: To provide an illumination device and a projection type image display device that illuminate an area to be illuminated (image formation area) under conditions where speckle noise is less noticeable. An illumination device according to the present invention includes: a light source 11 that emits coherent light; an optical scanning section 15 that scans the coherent light emitted from the light source 11; and an optical path conversion system 21 configured to allow the coherent light scanned by the optical scanning section 15 to illuminate an area to be illuminated sequentially in an overlapping manner. An incident angle of the coherent light that enters respective points of the area to be illuminated changes with time.

Abstract: A projection apparatus has a hologram recording medium configured to be capable of diffusing coherent light beams, an irradiation unit configured to irradiate coherent light beams to the hologram recording medium so that the coherent light beams scan the hologram recording medium, a light modulator that is illuminated by coherent light beams incident on and diffused at respective points of the hologram recording medium from the irradiation unit, a projection optical system configured to project a modulated image generated by the light modulator onto a scattering plane, and an imaging optical system provided between the hologram recording medium and the light modulator, configured to converge the coherent light beams diffused at respective points of the hologram recording medium to illuminate the light modulator.

Abstract: To provide an illumination device and a projection type image display device that illuminate an area to be illuminated (image formation area) under conditions where speckle noise is less noticeable. An illumination device according to the present invention includes: a light source 11 that emits coherent light; an optical scanning section 15 that scans the coherent light emitted from the light source 11; a lens array 22 including a plurality of element lenses and configured to diverge the light scanned by the optical scanning section; an optical path conversion system 23 configured to control a diverging angle of the diverging light to be emitted from respective points of the lens array 22 and to allow the diverging light whose diverging angle has been controlled to illuminate an area to be illuminated sequentially in an overlapping manner.

Abstract: A projection apparatus has an optical device configured to be capable of diffusing coherent light beams, an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the coherent light beams to the optical device so that the coherent light beams scan the optical device, a light modulator that is illuminated by coherent light beams incident on and diffused at respective points of the optical device from the irradiation unit, a projection optical system configured to project a modulated image generated by the light modulator onto a scattering plane, and an intermediate optical system provided between the optical device and the light modulator, configured to restrict an diffusion angle of coherent light beams diffused by the optical device.

Abstract: A phase modulation element according to the present invention has a first area having a first phase value based on a phase modulation unit having a predetermined size and a second area having a second phase value based on the phase modulation unit having the predetermined size, and each phase distribution is defined by a change in area shares of the first area and the second area depending on each position.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a light modulation optical system having a first element which forms a desired light intensity gradient distribution to an incident light beam and a second element which forms a desired light intensity minimum distribution with an inverse peak shape to the same, and an image formation optical system which is provided between the light modulation optical system and a substrate having a polycrystal semiconductor film or an amorphous semiconductor film, wherein the incident light beam to which the light intensity gradient distribution and the light intensity minimum distribution are formed is applied to the polycrystal semiconductor film or the amorphous semiconductor film through the image formation optical system, thereby crystallizing a non-crystal semiconductor film. The pattern of the first element is opposed to the pattern of the second element.

Abstract: Exact alignment of a recrystallized region, which is to be formed in an amorphous or polycrystalline film, is facilitated. An alignment mark is formed, which is usable in a step of forming an electronic device, such as a thin-film transistor, in the recrystallized region. In addition, in a step of obtaining a large-grain-sized crystal-phase semiconductor from a semiconductor film, a mark structure that is usable as an alignment mark in a subsequent step is formed on the semiconductor film in the same exposure step. Thus, the invention includes a light intensity modulation structure that modulates light and forms a light intensity distribution for crystallization, and a mark forming structure that modulates light and forms a light intensity distribution including a pattern with a predetermined shape, and also forms a mark indicative of a predetermined position on a crystallized region.

Abstract: There are provided a crystallization method which can design laser beam having a light intensity and a distribution optimized on an incident surface of a substrate, form a desired crystallized structure while suppressing generation of any other undesirable structure area and satisfy a demand for low-temperature processing, a crystallization apparatus, a thin film transistor and a display apparatus. When crystallizing a non-single-crystal semiconductor thin film by irradiating laser beam thereto, irradiation light beam to the non-single-crystal semiconductor thin film have a light intensity with a light intensity distribution which cyclically repeats a monotonous increase and a monotonous decrease and a light intensity which melts the non-single-crystal semiconductor. Further, at least a silicon oxide film is provided on a laser beam incident surface of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film.

Abstract: A phase modulation element according to the present invention has a first area having a first phase value based on a phase modulation unit having a predetermined size and a second area having a second phase value based on the phase modulation unit having the predetermined size, and each phase distribution is defined by a change in area shares of the first area and the second area depending on each position.

Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes a light modulation element, and an image forming optical system that forms a light intensity distribution set based on light transmitted through the light modulation element on an irradiation surface. The crystallization apparatus irradiates a non-single crystal semiconductor film with light having the light intensity distribution to generate a crystallized semiconductor film. A curvature radius of at least one isointensity line of a light intensity substantially varies along the isointensity line in the light intensity distribution on the irradiation surface, and a curvature radius of at least a part of the isointensity line has a minimum value of 0.3 ?m or below.

Abstract: A light irradiation apparatus irradiates a target plane with light having a predetermined light intensity distribution. The apparatus includes a light modulation element having a light modulation pattern of a periodic structure represented by a primitive translation vector (a1, a2), an illumination system for illuminating the modulation element with the light, and an image forming optical system for forming the predetermined light intensity distribution obtained by the modulation pattern on the target plane. A shape of an exit pupil of the illumination system is similar to the Wigner-Seitz cell of a primitive reciprocal lattice vector (b1, b2) obtained from the primitive translation vector (a1, a2) by the following equations: b1=2?(a2×a3)/(a1·(a2×a3)) and b2=2?(a3×a1)/(a1·(a2×a3)) in which a3 is a vector having an arbitrary size in a normal direction of a flat surface of the modulation pattern of the modulation element, “·” is an inner product of the vector, and “×” is an outer product of the vector.

Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes a light modulation element, and an image forming optical system that forms a light intensity distribution set based on light transmitted through the light modulation element on an irradiation surface. The crystallization apparatus irradiates a non-single crystal semiconductor film with light having the light intensity distribution to generate a crystallized semiconductor film. A curvature radius of at least one isointensity line of a light intensity substantially varies along the isointensity line in the light intensity distribution on the irradiation surface, and a curvature radius of at least a part of the isointensity line has a minimum value of 0.3 ?m or below.

Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes a light modulation element, and an image forming optical system that forms a light intensity distribution set based on light transmitted through the light modulation element on an irradiation surface. The crystallization apparatus irradiates a non-single crystal semiconductor film with light having the light intensity distribution to generate a crystallized semiconductor film. A curvature radius of at least one isointensity line of a light intensity substantially varies along the isointensity line in the light intensity distribution on the irradiation surface, and a curvature radius of at least a part of the isointensity line has a minimum value of 0.3 ?m or below.

Abstract: A method of forming a polycrystalline semiconductor film, which includes irradiating an amorphous semiconductor film formed on an insulating substrate with light to convert the amorphous semiconductor into a polycrystalline semiconductor with laterally grown crystal grains, thus forming a polycrystalline semiconductor film, wherein crystal growth in the semiconductor is controlled such that first crystal grains laterally grow in the first direction along a X-axis from the first group of initial nuclei, the second crystal grains laterally grow in the second direction opposite to the first direction along the X-axis from the second group of initial nuclei arranged apart from the first group of initial nuclei along the X-axis, and the first crystal grains collide against the second crystal grains at different points in time along a Y-axis.

Abstract: Exact alignment of a recrystallized region, which is to be formed in an amorphous or polycrystalline film, is facilitated. An alignment mark is formed, which is usable in a step of forming an electronic device, such as a thin-film transistor, in the recrystallized region. In addition, in a step of obtaining a large-grain-sized crystal-phase semiconductor from a semiconductor film, a mark structure that is usable as an alignment mark in a subsequent step is formed on the semiconductor film in the same exposure step. Thus, the invention includes a light intensity modulation structure that modulates light and forms a light intensity distribution for crystallization, and a mark forming structure that modulates light and forms a light intensity distribution including a pattern with a predetermined shape, and also forms a mark indicative of a predetermined position on a crystallized region.