Abstract: A crystallization method which generates a crystallized semiconductor film by irradiating at least one of a polycrystal semiconductor film and an amorphous semiconductor film with light beams having a light intensity distribution with an inverse peak pattern that a light intensity is increased toward the periphery from an inverse peak at which the light intensity is minimum, wherein a light intensity value ? (standardized value) in the inverse peak when a maximum value of the light intensity in the light intensity distribution with the inverse peak pattern is standardized as 1 is set to 0.2?value ??0.8.

Abstract: A light application apparatus includes an optical modulation element provided with a plurality of phase steps, a light beam which is entered into the optical modulation element being phase-modulated by the phase steps and exits from the optical modulation element as a light beam having a first light intensity distribution. An optical system is arranged between the optical modulation element and an predetermined plane. The optical system divides the phase-modulated light beam into at least two light fluxes having second and third light intensity distributions and different optical characteristics from each other, and projects a light beam including the divided two light fluxes, the light intensity distributions of the projected light fluxes being combined with each other, so that the projected light beam has a fourth light intensity distribution with an inverse peak shape on the predetermined plane and enters the predetermined plane.

Abstract: A method of crystallizing a semiconductor film including splitting a pulse laser beam oscillated from a laser oscillator, and synthesizing the split pulse laser beams after the split pulse laser beams have propagated through optical paths different in optical path length, modulating the synthesized pulse laser beam into a pulse laser beam by a phase modulating element, and irradiating a non-single-crystal film formed on a substrate with the laser beam to crystallize the non-single-crystal film. Splitting the pulse laser beam and synthesizing the split pulse laser beams are performed using at least three optical splitting/synthesizing units arranged in order, and include sequentially splitting one pulse laser beam split by one optical splitting/synthesizing unit by succeeding splitting/synthesizing unit, and synthesizing the other pulse laser beam split by one optical splitting/synthesizing unit with the other pulse laser beam split by preceding splitting/synthesizing unit.

Abstract: A crystallization method includes wavefront-dividing an incident light beam into a plurality of light beams, condensing the wavefront-divided light beams in a corresponding phase shift portion of a phase shift mask or in the vicinity of the phase shift portion to form a light beam having an light intensity distribution of an inverse peak pattern in which a light intensity is minimum in a point corresponding to the phase shift portion of the phase shift mask, and irradiating a polycrystalline semiconductor film or an amorphous semiconductor film with the light beam having the light intensity distribution to produce a crystallized semiconductor film.

Abstract: Disclosed is a simulation apparatus including an input unit, storage unit, arithmetic unit, controller, and output unit. The input unit inputs a first potential at the source end, which corresponds to the gate end of a TFT, on that surface of a thin polysilicon film which faces the gate, a second potential at the source end on the back surface of the thin polysilicon film on which the gate is formed, a third potential at the drain end, which corresponds to the gate end of the TFT, on that surface of the thin polysilicon film which faces the gate, and a fourth potential at the drain end on the back surface of the thin polysilicon film. A drain current is calculated by performing an arithmetic operation on the basis of the first to fourth potentials, and a model is formed by including defect states.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thin-film semiconductor device, including forming a crystallized region on a transparent insulating substrate, implanting an impurity into the crystallized region and an amorphous semiconductor layer to form a source diffusion region and a drain diffusion region in the crystallized region, subjecting the resultant structure to heat treatment, thereby not only activating the impurity implanted in the crystallized region and the amorphous semiconductor layer but also restoring crystallinity of only a portion of the amorphous semiconductor layer which is formed on the crystallized region to thereby turn the portion into a polycrystalline semiconductor layer, and subjecting the resultant surface to selective etching to thereby leave only the polycrystalline semiconductor layer and to remove the amorphous semiconductor layer formed on other regions, thereby forming, in a self-aligned manner, a stacked source diffusion layer and a stacked drain diffusion layer.

Abstract: A laser crystallization apparatus and a crystallization method with a high throughput are provided. Laser light having a predetermined light intensity distribution is irradiated to a semiconductor film to melt and crystallize, wherein a irradiation position is positioned very quickly and with a high positional accuracy, thereby forming the semiconductor film having a large crystal grain size. A laser crystallization apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a laser light source, a phase shifter modulating laser light to give a predetermined light intensity distribution, marks provided on the substrate, a substrate holding stage moving in a predetermined direction, mark measuring means measuring a time at which the mark passes a predetermined position, and signal generating means generating a trigger signal indicating the irradiation of the laser light based on the measured time.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wiring, a display device, and a method of manufacturing the same. A first metal diffusion-preventing layer is formed on a substrate or on a circuit element formed on the substrate. Then, a metal wiring layer is selectively formed on the first metal diffusion-preventing layer by an electroless metal plating method or a metal electroplating method. Further, the undesired portion of the first metal diffusion-preventing layer is removed. Finally, a second metal diffusion-preventing layer is formed selectively by an electroless metal plating method in a manner to cover the metal wiring layer or both a seed layer and the metal wiring layer.

Abstract: An optical device comprises a first cylindrical lens array in which a plurality of first lens segments each having a first radius of curvature and a first width so as to divide laser light into a plurality of light components are arranged, and a plurality of second lens segments each having a second radius of curvature and a second width, and provided in at least one position of the first cylindrical lens array so as to be arranged between adjacent first lens segments.

Abstract: A problem of a decrease in transmissive light, which partly occurs at a boundary between two polarization modulation regions of a polarized phase shift mask, is solved. A photomask for use in an exposure apparatus which forms an exposure pattern by illumination includes at least two polarization modulation regions which produce mutually incoherent polarized light components and adjoin each other, at least two phase modulation regions which impart a phase difference of 180° and adjoin each other, and amplitude modulation regions which decrease transmittance. A contact line between the polarization modulation regions and a contact line between the phase modulation regions are located at a corresponding position, and the amplitude modulation regions are provided on both sides of the common contact line, with a predetermined distance from the common contact line.

Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes an illumination system which illuminates a phase shifter having a phase shift portion, and irradiates a polycrystal semiconductor film or an amorphous semiconductor film with a light beam having a predetermined light intensity distribution in which a light intensity is minimum in a point area corresponding to the phase shift portion of the phase shifter, thereby forming a crystallized semiconductor film, the phase shifter has four or more even-numbered phase shift lines which intersect at a point constituting the phase shift portion. An area on one side and an area on the other side of each phase shift line have a phase difference of approximately 180 degrees.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a phase shifter for laser annealing which is capable of effectively preventing the sticking of particles. A first layer and a third layer are made of quartz glass, and a two-dimensional pattern of fine grooves is formed in the surfaces of the layers. The first layer and the third layer are arranged so that a second layer is sandwiched between the layers in a state in which the surfaces provided with the grooves face each other. A peripheral edge portion of the first layer is laminated on that of the third layer by a spacer. The second layer is made of an inactive gas introduced between the first layer and the third layer.

Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes an illumination system which illuminates a phase-shift mask and an image-forming optical system arranged in an optical path between the phase-shift mask and a semiconductor film. The semiconductor film is irradiated with a light beam having a light intensity distribution of inverted peak patterns whose light intensity is the lowest in portions corresponding to phase shift sections to form a crystallized semiconductor film. The image-forming optical system is located to optically conjugate the phase-shift mask and the semiconductor film and has an aberration corresponding to the given wavelength range to form a light intensity distribution of inverted peak patterns with no swell of intensity in the middle portion.

Abstract: According to a crystallization method, in the crystallization by irradiating a non-single semiconductor thin film of 40 to 100 nm provided on an insulation substrate with a laser light, a light intensity distribution having an inverse peak pattern is formed on the surface of the substrate, a light intensity gradient of the light intensity distribution is controlled, a crystal grain array is formed in which each crystal grain is aligned having a longer shape in a crystal growth direction than in a width direction and having a preferential crystal orientation (100) in a grain length direction, and a TFT is formed in which a source region and a drain region are formed so that current flows across a plurality of crystal grains of the crystal grain array in the crystal growth direction.

Abstract: A laser anneal apparatus is provided with a laser source; a homogenizing optical system disposed in an optical path of laser light emitted from the laser source to homogenize an intensity distribution of the laser light in a section which is perpendicular to the optical path; a phase shifter disposed in the optical path of the laser light passed through the homogenizing optical system to produce an intensity distribution pattern of the laser light in the section which is perpendicular to the optical path; a photoreceptor device disposed in the optical path of the laser light passed through the phase shifter to intercept a part of the laser light and to measure a quantity of the intercepted laser light; and an image-forming optical system disposed in the optical path of the laser light passed through the photoreceptor device to focus the laser light on a substrate to be treated.

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 method includes wavefront-dividing an incident light beam into a plurality of light beams, condensing the wavefront-divided light beams in a corresponding phase shift portion of a phase shift mask or in the vicinity of the phase shift portion to form a light beam having an light intensity distribution of an inverse peak pattern in which a light intensity is minimum in a point corresponding to the phase shift portion of the phase shift mask, and irradiating a polycrystalline semiconductor film or an amorphous semiconductor film with the light beam having the light intensity distribution to produce a crystallized semiconductor film.

Abstract: A crystallizing method of causing a phase shifter to phase-modulate a laser beam whose wavelength is 248 nm or 300 nm or more from an excimer laser unit into a laser beam with a light intensity profile having a plurality of inverted triangular peak patterns in cross section and of irradiating the pulse laser beam onto a substrate to be crystallized for crystallization. The substrate to be crystallized is such that one or more silicon oxide films which present absorption properties to the laser beam and differ in the relative proportions of Si and O are provided on a laser beam incident face.

Abstract: A thin-film semiconductor substrate includes an insulative substrate, an amorphous semiconductor thin film that is formed on the insulative substrate, and a plurality of alignment marks that are located on the semiconductor thin film and are indicative of reference positions for crystallization.

Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes an illumination system which applies illumination light for crystallization to a non-single-crystal semiconductor film, and a phase shifter which includes first and second regions disposed to form a straight boundary and transmitting the illumination light from the illumination system by a first phase retardation therebetween, and phase-modulates the illumination light to provide a light intensity distribution having an inverse peak pattern that light intensity falls in a zone of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film containing an axis corresponding to the boundary. The phase shifter further includes a small region which extends into at least one of the first and second regions from the boundary and transmits the illumination light by a second phase retardation with respect to the at least one of the first and second regions.