Abstract: A method for removing and modifying a protrusion by using a short pulse laser is provided for modifying a color filter. In a color filter modifying method, a transparent substrate (2) is scanned with a beam in a parallel direction, while irradiating a protrusion (8) generated on the color filters (3-1, 3-2, 3-3) formed on a transparent substrate (2) with a beam collected by a high NA condensing lens (18), and a protrusion (8) is removed or modified.

Abstract: A light-emitting device (1) is provided having a current blocking layer (9) of buried structure, a portion of the current blocking layer (9) having an oxygen concentration higher than that of a light-emitting layer, the current blocking layer being of a thickness of not less than 5 nm and not more than 100 nm. It includes an etching stop layer (24) below the current blocking layer (9), the etching stop layer being good in oxidation resistance. The light-emitting device (1) and its manufacturing method are provided such that the device has its current confinement effect improved and its output increased at lower forward voltage.

Abstract: A method for removing and modifying a protrusion by using a short pulse laser is provided for modifying a color filter. In a color filter modifying method, a transparent substrate (2) is scanned with a beam in a parallel direction, while irradiating a protrusion (8) generated on the color filters (3-1, 3-2, 3-3) formed on a transparent substrate (2) with a beam collected by a high NA condensing lens (18), and a protrusion (8) is removed or modified.

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: [PROBLEMS] To provide a method and an apparatus for cutting a conductive link of a redundant circuit in a semiconductor circuit. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] A method is provided for selectively cutting a plurality of conductive links embedded in a protection layer which covers at least the conductive links in a semiconductor device formed on a semiconductor substrate. A focused beam is aligned with a target link, a first pulsed laser beam having a short laser wavelength of 400 nm or shorter and a second pulsed laser beam having a wavelength longer than 400 nm are generated, the first and the second pulsed laser beams are overlapped and applied onto the conductive link from over the protection layer. Preferably, the second pulsed laser is applied after the first pulsed layer in terms of time.

Abstract: A light-emitting device (1) is provided having a current blocking layer (9) of buried structure, a portion of the current blocking layer (9) having an oxygen concentration higher than that of a light-emitting layer, the current blocking layer being of a thickness of not less than 5 nm and not more than 100 nm. It includes an etching stop layer (24) below the current blocking layer (9), the etching stop layer being good in oxidation resistance. The light-emitting device (1) and its manufacturing method are provided such that the device has its current confinement effect improved and its output increased at lower forward voltage.

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: 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 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 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 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.

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.

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.

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 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: The present invention is directed to a crystallization apparatus including an illumination system to illuminate a phase shift mask, which converts a light beam from the illumination system into a light beam that has a light intensity distribution of an inverse peak pattern having a minimum intensity in an area corresponding to a phase shift portion of the phase shift mask. The crystallization apparatus further includes an optical member to form on a predetermined plane a light intensity distribution of a concave pattern, which has a light intensity that is minimum in an area corresponding to the phase shift portion and increases toward the circumference of that area based on the light from the illumination system, and an image-forming optical system to set a surface of the polycrystalline semiconductor film or the amorphous semiconductor film or its conjugate plane and the predetermined plane to an optical conjugate relationship.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus of the present invention has a retaining base which retains a substrate, a device detecting undulation or thickness unevenness, and a control device which operates the detecting device. The substrate is deformed in a range of a field to be processed, by locally displacing the retaining base on the basis of the detected undulation or thickness unevenness of the substrate. Blurring of an image formed on the substrate can be thereby prevented.

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.

Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes an illumination optical system to illuminate a phase shift mask and which irradiates an amorphous semiconductor film with a light beam having an intensity distribution of an inverse peak type having a smallest light intensity in a point corresponding to a phase shift portion of the phase shift mask to generate a crystallized semiconductor film. A convergence/divergence element is disposed on a light path between the illumination optical system and phase shift mask. The convergence/divergence element converts the light beam supplied from the illumination optical system into a light beam having an upward concave intensity distribution in which the light intensity is lowest in the phase shift portion and in which the light intensity increases as distant from the phase shift portion to irradiate the phase shift mask.

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.