Abstract: The present invention is to provide a beam homogenizer, a laser irradiation apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which can suppress the loss of a laser beam and form a beam spot having homogeneous energy distribution constantly on an irradiation surface without being affected by beam parameters of a laser beam. A deflector is provided at an entrance of an optical waveguide or a light pipe used for homogenizing a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator. A pair of reflection planes of the deflector is provided so as to have a tilt angle to an optical axis of the laser beam, whereby the entrance of the optical waveguide or the light pipe is expanded. Accordingly, the loss of the laser beam can be suppressed. Moreover, by providing an angle adjusting mechanism to the deflector, a beam spot having homogeneous energy distribution can be formed at an exit of the optical waveguide.

Abstract: In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a manufacturing technique and a manufacturing apparatus of a semiconductor device which simplify a lithography step using a photoresist is provided, so that the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the throughput is improved. An irradiated object, in which a light absorbing layer and an insulating layer are stacked over a substrate, is irradiated with a multi-mode laser beam and a single-mode laser beam so that both the laser beams overlap with each other, and an opening is formed by ablation in part of the irradiated object the irradiation of which is performed so that both the laser beams overlap with each other.

Abstract: An object is to provide a display device that can be manufactured by improvement of use efficiency of a material and simplification of a manufacturing process. A light absorbing layer is formed, an insulating layer is formed over the light absorbing layer, the light absorbing layer and the insulating layer are selectively irradiated with laser light, an irradiated region in the insulating layer is removed to form an opening in the insulating layer, and a conductive film is formed in the opening so as to be in contact with the light absorbing layer. The conductive film is formed in the opening so as to be in contact with the light absorbing layer, which is exposed, so that the light absorbing layer and the conductive layer can be electrically connected with the insulating layer interposed therebetween.

Abstract: In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a manufacturing technique and a manufacturing apparatus of a semiconductor device which simplify a lithography step using a photoresist is provided, so that the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the throughput is improved. An irradiated object, in which a light absorbing layer and an insulating layer are stacked over a substrate, is irradiated with a multi-mode laser beam and a single-mode laser beam so that both the laser beams overlap with each other, and an opening is formed by ablation in part of the irradiated object the irradiation of which is performed so that both the laser beams overlap with each other.

Abstract: It is an object to achieve continuous crystal growth without optical interference using a compact laser irradiation apparatus. A megahertz laser beam is split and combined to crystallize a semiconductor film. At this point of time, an optical path difference is provided between the split beams to reduce optical interference. The optical path difference is set to have a length equivalent to the pulse width of the megahertz laser beam or more and less than a length equivalent to the pulse repetition interval; thus, optical interference can be suppressed with a very short optical path difference. Therefore, laser beams can be applied continuously and efficiently without energy deterioration.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a laser irradiation technique for irradiating the irradiation surface with the laser beam having homogeneous intensity distribution using a cylindrical lens array without being affected by the intensity distribution of the original beam. A laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator is divided by two kinds of cylindrical lens arrays into a plurality of beams, which are two kinds of linear laser beams with their energy intensity distribution inverted each other, and the two kinds of linear laser beams are superposed in a minor-axis direction. This can form the linear laser beam having homogeneous intensity distribution on the irradiation surface.

Abstract: It is an object to achieve continuous crystal growth without optical interference using a compact laser irradiation apparatus. A megahertz laser beam is split and combined to crystallize a semiconductor film. At this point of time, an optical path difference is provided between the split beams to reduce optical interference. The optical path difference is set to have a length equivalent to the pulse width of the megahertz laser beam or more and less than a length equivalent to the pulse repetition interval; thus, optical interference can be suppressed with a very short optical path difference. Therefore, laser beams can be applied continuously and efficiently without energy deterioration.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a laser irradiation technique for irradiating the irradiation surface with the laser beam having homogeneous intensity distribution using a cylindrical lens array without being affected by the intensity distribution of the original beam. A laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator is divided by two kinds of cylindrical lens arrays into a plurality of beams, which are two kinds of linear laser beams with their energy intensity distribution inverted each other, and the two kinds of linear laser beams are superposed in a minor-axis direction. This can form the linear laser beam having homogeneous intensity distribution on the irradiation surface.

Abstract: A laser irradiation apparatus and a method of laser irradiation which can improve use efficiency of a laser beam, eliminate an influence of stray light at a DMD, and form an irradiation pattern with a homogeneous beam spot are provided. The laser irradiation apparatus includes at least a laser oscillator, a diffractive optical element, and an optical element having many minute mirrors arranged two-dimensionally. A laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator is divided into plural laser beams by a diffractive optical element and the laser beams are deflected by plural micromirrors. The divided laser beams have equal energy to each other.

Abstract: When the CW laser is employed for annealing the semiconductor film, a device having a high characteristic can be expected. On the other hand, when the beam shaped to be elliptical is scanned on the semiconductor film, a proportion of excimer-like crystal grain region becomes large and this is a problem in point of high integration. The present invention is to make the excimer-like crystal grain region formed over the semiconductor film as small as possible. In the present invention, a fundamental wave having a wavelength of approximately 1 ?m is irradiated supplementarily to the semiconductor film, which is the irradiated surface, simultaneously with a harmonic emitted from a CW laser. In addition, the fundamental wave is irradiated with a large amount of energy to a region irradiated by the harmonic with a small amount of energy, and the fundamental wave is irradiated with a small amount of energy to a region irradiated by the harmonic with a large amount of energy.

Abstract: Since the arrangement of the optical elements in the optical system is limited because of their characteristic, designing the optical system for forming the desired laser beam is difficult. An object of the present invention is to design the optical system having the desired function without being affected by the limit in the arrangement of the optical elements. Consequently, an off-axis cylindrical lens array is used as a cylindrical lens array acting on a long-side direction of the beam.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a beam homogenizer, a laser irradiation apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which can suppress the loss of a laser beam and form a beam spot having homogeneous energy distribution constantly on an irradiation surface without being affected by beam parameters of a laser beam. A deflector is provided at an entrance of an optical waveguide or a light pipe used for homogenizing a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator. A pair of reflection planes of the deflector is provided so as to have a tilt angle to an optical axis of the laser beam, whereby the entrance of the optical waveguide or the light pipe is expanded. Accordingly, the loss of the laser beam can be suppressed. Moreover, by providing an angle adjusting mechanism to the deflector, a beam spot having homogeneous energy distribution can be formed at an exit of the optical waveguide.

Abstract: An object is to provide a display device that can be manufactured by improvement of use efficiency of a material and simplification of a manufacturing process. A light absorbing layer is formed, an insulating layer is formed over the light absorbing layer, the light absorbing layer and the insulating layer are selectively irradiated with laser light, an irradiated region in the insulating layer is removed to form an opening in the insulating layer, and a conductive film is formed in the opening so as to be in contact with the light absorbing layer. The conductive film is formed in the opening so as to be in contact with the light absorbing layer, which is exposed, so that the light absorbing layer and the conductive layer can be electrically connected with the insulating layer interposed therebetween.

Abstract: The present invention provides the laser irradiation apparatus that has a galvanometer mirror and an f-? lens optical system, can offset the change of the energy due to the transmittance change of the f-? lens, and can scan a laser beam while the change of the energy on a substrate is suppressed. Further, the laser beam energy that is incident on the lens is controlled in advance by combining the optical system changing the branching ratio of polarization of the laser beam and the optical system having dependence on direction of polarization of the laser beam and changed continuously according to the transmittance of the lens on which the laser beam is incident. The laser energy is controlled to offset the transmittance of the lens, and thereby energy fluctuation of the laser beam irradiation of a substrate can be prevented.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a beam homogenizer, a laser irradiation apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which can suppress the loss of a laser beam and form a beam spot having homogeneous energy distribution constantly on an irradiation surface without being affected by beam parameters of a laser beam. A deflector is provided at an entrance of an optical waveguide or a light pipe used for homogenizing a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator. A pair of reflection planes of the deflector is provided so as to have a tilt angle to an optical axis of the laser beam, whereby the entrance of the optical waveguide or the light pipe is expanded. Accordingly, the loss of the laser beam can be suppressed. Moreover, by providing an angle adjusting mechanism to the deflector, a beam spot having homogeneous energy distribution can be formed at an exit of the optical waveguide.

Abstract: In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a manufacturing technique and a manufacturing apparatus of a semiconductor device which simplify a lithography step using a photoresist is provided, so that the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the throughput is improved. An irradiated object, in which a light absorbing layer and an insulating layer are stacked over a substrate, is irradiated with a multi-mode laser beam and a single-mode laser beam so that both the laser beams overlap with each other, and an opening is formed by ablation in part of the irradiated object the irradiation of which is performed so that both the laser beams overlap with each other.

Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using a method in which a desired position is rapidly subjected to laser irradiation while switching laser irradiation patterns. With respect to an organic memory element having a structure in which an organic compound layer is interposed between a pair of conductive layers, data is written to the organic memory element by laser irradiation using a laser irradiation apparatus. Further, a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator is split by a diffractive optical element into a plurality of laser beams, thereby irradiating a plurality of portions on the organic compound layer with laser beams by single irradiation.

Abstract: A laser irradiation apparatus and a method of laser irradiation which can improve use efficiency of a laser beam, eliminate an influence of stray light at a DMD, and form an irradiation pattern with a homogeneous beam spot are provided. The laser irradiation apparatus includes at least a laser oscillator, a diffractive optical element, and an optical element having many minute mirrors arranged two-dimensionally. A laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator is divided into plural laser beams by a diffractive optical element and the laser beams are deflected by plural micromirrors. The divided laser beams have equal energy to each other.

Abstract: [Object]When the CW laser is employed for annealing the semiconductor film, a device having a high characteristic can be expected. On the other hand, when the beam shaped to be elliptical is scanned on the semiconductor film, a proportion of excimer-like crystal grain region becomes large and this is a problem in point of high integration. The present invention is to make the excimer-like crystal grain region formed over the semiconductor film as small as possible. [Solution]In the present invention, a fundamental wave having a wavelength of approximately 1 ?m is irradiated supplementarily to the semiconductor film, which is the irradiated surface, simultaneously with a harmonic emitted from a CW laser. In addition, the fundamental wave is irradiated with a large amount of energy to a region irradiated by the harmonic with a small amount of energy, and the fundamental wave is irradiated with a small amount of energy to a region irradiated by the harmonic with a large amount of energy.

Abstract: A method for rapidly performing laser irradiation in a desired position as laser irradiation patterns are switched is proposed. A laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator is entered into a deflector, and a laser beam which has passed through the deflector is entered into a diffractive optical element to be diverged into a plurality of laser beams. Then, a photoresist formed over an insulating film is irradiated with the laser beam which is made to diverge into the plurality of laser beams, and the photoresist irradiated with the laser beam is developed so as to selectively etch the insulating film.