Abstract: There is provided a thin-film transistor that is formed on an insulating substrate, is capable of a high-speed operation, has small non-uniformity among devices, is hardly susceptible to device destruction due to high voltage, and is free from the effect of a parasitic transistor that forms at an edge part of an Si island. The thin-film semiconductor device is formed using a thin-film semiconductor provided on the insulating substrate and includes a gate region for formation of a channel region through which a drain current flows. The gate region has a ring shape in plan on the insulating substrate. High concentration impurity-doped regions are dividedly provided on an inside and an outside of the ring-shaped gate region, and the channel region is formed of a plurality of fan-shaped semiconductor single-crystal portions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a film-forming method, comprising supplying into a plasma processing chamber at least three kinds of gases including a silicon compound gas, an oxidizing gas, and a rare gas, the percentage of the partial pressure of the rare gas (Pr) based on the total pressure being not smaller than 85%, i.e., 85%?Pr<100%, and generating a plasma within the plasma processing chamber so as to form a film of silicon oxide on a substrate to be processed.

Abstract: In an apparatus which determines characteristics of a thin film according to the present invention, a temporal change in a refractive index n and an extinction coefficient k of a thin film in a period from start of a change in the thin film as a processing target (e.g., melting) to end of the change (e.g., solidification) can be obtained with a high time resolution of pico-seconds. Based on this, it is possible to know a progress of a change in state of the thin film (e.g., crystallization) or a transition of growth of crystal grains in units of pico-seconds.

Abstract: A laser crystallization apparatus, which enables an observation of a high spatial resolution with several ?m and a high temporal resolution with several nanoseconds, comprising a crystallization optical system to irradiate a laser light to a thin film provided on a substrate and to melt and crystallize the thin film, the laser crystallization apparatus comprises an illumination light source disposed out of an optical path of the laser light and emitting an illumination light for observation to illuminate the thin film, an illumination optical system comprising an annular optical element which has the optical path of the laser light in the center and which leads the illumination light from the illumination light source to the thin film along the optical path, and an observation optical system which displays a magnified image of the substrate including the thin film.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin-film transistor offering a higher electron (or hole) mobility, a method for manufacturing the thin-film transistor, and a display using the thin-film transistor. The present invention provides a thin-film transistor having a source region, a channel region, and a drain region in a semiconductor thin film with a crystal grown in a horizontal direction, the thin-film transistor having a gate insulating film and a gate electrode over the channel region, wherein a drain edge of the drain region which is adjacent to the channel region is formed in the vicinity of a crystal growth end position.

Abstract: In a laser processing method and a laser processing apparatus which irradiate a processing target body with a laser beam pulse-oscillated from a laser beam source, a processing state is monitored by a photodetector, and the laser beam source is again subjected to oscillation control on the moment when erroneous laser irradiation is detected, thereby performing laser processing. Further, in a laser crystallization method and a laser crystallization apparatus using a pulseoscillated excimer laser, a homogenizing optical system, an optical element and a half mirror are arranged in an optical path, light from the half mirror is detected by a photodetector, and a light intensity insufficient irradiation position is again irradiated with a laser beam to perform crystallization when the detection value does not fall within a range of a predetermined specified value.

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 laser crystallization apparatus and method for crystallizing a semiconductor thin film while monitoring at a high spatial and temporal resolution in real time. In a laser crystallization apparatus comprising a crystallizing optical system which irradiates a semiconductor thin film with a pulse laser light having an intensity distribution to melt and to crystallize the thin film in a manner to grow grains laterally, the apparatus comprises an illumination light source provided out of an optical path of the laser, an illumination optical system including annular optical elements which provides the optical path of the laser light in a central portion and guides the illumination light to the thin film, and an observing optical system which magnifies the illumination light transmitted through the thin film, picks up an image of the grains growing laterally, and displays the image.

Abstract: A light irradiation apparatus includes a light modulation element which modulates a phase of an incident light beam to obtain a V-shaped light intensity distribution having a bottom portion of a minimum light intensity, and an image formation optical system which applies the modulated light beam from the light modulation element to an irradiation target surface in such a manner that the V-shaped light intensity distribution is provided on the irradiation target surface. The light modulation element has such a complex amplitude transmittance distribution that a secondary derivative of a phase value of a complex amplitude distribution becomes substantially zero at the bottom portion of the V-shaped light intensity distribution in an image space of the image formation optical system.

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: 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: The semiconductor device according to the present invention has a semiconductor layer having not smaller than two types of crystal grains different in size within a semiconductor circuit on a same substrate.

Abstract: A phase shift mask is arranged before a laser device through a beam expander, a homogenizer and a mirror, and a processed substrate is set on an opposed surface of the phase shift mask with an image forming optical system therebetween. The processed substrate is held at a predetermined position by using a substrate chuck such as a vacuum chuck or an electrostatic chuck.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes pixels arrayed in a matrix of rows and columns, scanning lines extending along the rows of the pixels, signal lines extending along the columns of the pixels, and pixel driving sections which are disposed near intersections of the scanning lines and signal lines, and each of which is controlled via one scanning line to capture a data signal on one signal line and output the data signal to one pixel. Particularly, each pixel driving section includes a memory circuit having a transistor whose gate is connected to the one signal line, and first and second storage capacitances which are charged to positive and negative power supply voltages and connected to a source and drain of the transistor to store the data signal as analog drive voltages of positive and negative polarities, respectively.

Abstract: A knife edge is disposed at a height corresponding to a section on which a sectional image (light intensity distribution) is picked up in such a manner as to intercept a part of the section of the laser light. The knife edge is irradiated with the laser light, and the sectional image of the laser light is enlarged with an image forming optics, and is picked up by a CCD. While picking up the sectional image in this manner, focusing of the image forming optics is performed. Next, the knife edge is retracted from the optical path of the laser light, the laser light is allowed to enter the CCD via the image forming optics, and the sectional image of the laser light is picked up.

Abstract: An interconnect forming method according to the present invention includes a step of forming a barrier film for metal diffusion on an insulator film, a step of selectively forming a metal seed layer on the barrier film for metal diffusion using an electroless plating process, a step of selectively forming a metal conductive layer on the metal seed layer using an electroplating process, and a step of etching the barrier film for metal diffusion using the metal conductive layer as a mask.

Abstract: In an apparatus which determines characteristics of a thin film according to the present invention, a temporal change in a refractive index n and an extinction coefficient k of a thin film in a period from start of a change in the thin film as a processing target (e.g., melting) to end of the change (e.g., solidification) can be obtained with a high time resolution of pico-seconds. Based on this, it is possible to know a progress of a change in state of the thin film (e.g., crystallization) or a transition of growth of crystal grains in units of pico-seconds.

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 optical illumination system to illuminate a phase shift mask and which irradiates an amorphous semiconductor film with a light beam having an inverse peak type light intensity distribution including a minimum light intensity in a point corresponding to a phase shift portion of the phase shift mask to produce a crystallized semiconductor film. A wavefront dividing element is disposed on a light path between the optical illumination system and the phase shift mask. The wavefront dividing element wavefront-divides the light beam supplied from the optical illumination system into a plurality of light beams, and condenses the wavefront-divided light beams in the corresponding phase shift portion or in the vicinity of the portion.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thin-film semiconductor device substrate includes a step of forming a non-single crystalline semiconductor thin film on a base layer, and an annealing step of irradiating the non-single crystalline semiconductor thin film with an energy beam to enhance crystallinity of a non-single crystalline semiconductor constituting the non-single crystalline semiconductor thin film. The annealing step includes simultaneously irradiating the non-single crystalline semiconductor thin film with a plurality of energy beams to form a plurality of unit regions each including at least one irradiated region irradiated with the energy beam and at least one non-irradiated region that is not irradiated with the energy beam.