Utilizing Wave Energy (e.g., Laser, Electron Beam, Etc.) Patents (Class 438/487)
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Patent number: 7664365Abstract: A rectangular beam having the energy density distribution homogenized in its short-side direction is formed in a beam homogenizer wherein two light reflection surfaces are parallel-provided in a beam progression optical waveguide with a predetermined space so as to face each other at surfaces along the beam progression direction and a course change reflection surface for changing the beam progression direction is formed at a surface in the direction intersected with the light reflection surfaces. The beam enters a cylindrical lens array and a cylindrical lens sequentially to homogenize the energy density distribution in its long-side direction. Then, the irradiation laser from the cylindrical lens is projected onto a non-single crystalline semiconductor film to perform annealing.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2005Date of Patent: February 16, 2010Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Koichiro Tanaka, Takatsugu Omata
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Patent number: 7659185Abstract: Disclosed are a method for forming a silicon thin-film on a substrate, and more particularly a method for forming a polycrystalline silicon thin-film of good quality on a flexible metal substrate. A metal substrate (110) is prepared and a surface of the metal substrate (110) is flattened. An insulation film (120) is formed on the metal substrate (110). An amorphous silicon layer (130) is formed on the insulation film (120). A metal layer (140) is formed on the amorphous silicon layer (130). A sample on the metal substrate (110) is heated and crystallized.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2004Date of Patent: February 9, 2010Assignee: Kyunghee University Industrial & Academic Collaboration FoundationInventors: Jin Jang, Jong-Hyun Choi, Seung-Soo Kim, Jae-Hwan Oh, Jun-Hyuk Chon
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Publication number: 20100024865Abstract: A continuous coating installation is disclosed. The installation includes a vacuum chamber having a supply opening for supplying a substrate to be coated and a discharge opening for discharging the coated substrate. The installation also includes a physical vapour deposition device for coating a surface of the substrate, and a laser crystallization system for simultaneously illuminating at least one sub-partial area of a currently coated partial area of the surface of the substrate with at least one laser beam. The installation further includes a transport device for transporting the substrate in a feedthrough direction from the supply opening to the discharge opening and for continuously or discontinuously moving the substrate during the coating thereof in the feedthrough direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2009Publication date: February 4, 2010Applicants: CARL ZEISS LASER OPTICS GMBH, CARL ZEISS SMT AGInventors: Arvind Shah, Horst Schade, Holger Muenz, Martin Voelcker, Michael Schall, Matthias Krantz
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Patent number: 7655544Abstract: Methods and apparatus for producing self-assembling quantum nanostructures by nanoheating a substrate with one or more laser interference patterns.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2006Date of Patent: February 2, 2010Assignee: Utah State UniversityInventor: Haeyon Yang
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Patent number: 7655152Abstract: An etching method includes applying a first electromagnetic radiation to an area of structure, thereby altering a characteristic of the structure in the area, and applying a second electromagnetic radiation to the structure, the second electromagnetic radiation configured to selectively ablate the structure based on the characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2004Date of Patent: February 2, 2010Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Curt Nelson, Greg Long
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Patent number: 7655881Abstract: As the output of laser oscillators become higher, it becomes necessary to develop a longer linear shape beam for a process of laser annealing of a semiconductor film. However, if the length of the linear shape beam is from 300 to 1000 mm, or greater, then the optical path length of an optical system for forming the linear shape beam becomes very long, thereby increasing its footprint size. The present invention shortens the optical path length. In order to make the optical path length of the optical system as short as possible, and to increase only the length of the linear shape beam, curvature may be given to the semiconductor film in the longitudinal direction of the linear shape beam. For example, if the size of the linear shape beam is taken as 1 m×0.4 mm, then it is necessary for the optical path length of the optical system to be on the order of 10 m.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2004Date of Patent: February 2, 2010Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventor: Koichiro Tanaka
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Patent number: 7651931Abstract: The laser beam projection mask 14 has three rectangular-shaped slits 25, 26, 27 as transmission areas. These three slits 25, 26, 27 are formed in sequence in X direction shown by an arrow X in FIG. 2C at specified intervals, and the width in the X direction decreases in the order of the slit 25, the slit 26 and the slit 27. More particularly, transmission coefficients of the transmission areas change in conformity with a temperature distribution curve V1 of a silicon film 4 shown in FIG. 2B.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2005Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Junichiro Nakayama, Masanori Seki, Hiroshi Tsunasawa, Yoshihiro Taniguchi
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Patent number: 7651932Abstract: The present invention provides an antenna with low resistance and a semiconductor device having an antenna whose communication distance is improved. A fluid containing conductive particles is applied over an object. After curing the fluid containing the conductive particles, the fluid is irradiated with a laser to form an antenna. As a method for applying the fluid containing the conductive particles, screen printing, spin coating, dipping, or a droplet discharging method is used. Further, a solid laser having a wavelength of 1 nm or more and 380 nm or less is used as the laser.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2006Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tomoyuki Aoki, Daiki Yamada
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Patent number: 7649206Abstract: A sequential lateral solidification (SLS) mask comprises a plurality of parallelizing repeat patterns. Each of the patterns further comprises a major symmetrical axis and a short axis, and each of the patterns is also composed of first units and second units, in which both the first unit and the second unit comprise respectively a plurality of light transmitting portions and light absorption portions. The first units are positioned in mirror symmetry to the second units via the major symmetrical axis.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2006Date of Patent: January 19, 2010Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.Inventors: Mao-Yi Chang, Chih-Hsiung Chang
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Publication number: 20100006853Abstract: An electronic device includes: a substrate; and a plurality of thin film transistors disposed in lines at least in one direction in terms of planar view when viewed from one principal surface of the substrate; each of the plurality of thin film transistors including a preliminary heating layer on the substrate, an insulating layer on the preliminary heating layer, and a thin film semiconductor layer a part of which overlaps the preliminary heating layer through the insulating film, wherein a portion of the preliminary heating layer other than the portion overlapping the thin film semiconductor layer has a planar shape which is line-symmetrical with respect to an axis extending in a direction perpendicularly intersecting the one direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2009Publication date: January 14, 2010Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Tetsuro Yamamoto, Katsuhide Uchino
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Publication number: 20100009523Abstract: A mask includes a primary opaque pattern and a number of clusters of secondary opaque patterns. The primary opaque pattern defines a number of strip transparent slits whose extending directions are substantially the same. The clusters of the secondary opaque patterns are connected to the primary opaque pattern, and each of the clusters of the secondary opaque patterns is disposed in one of the transparent slits, respectively. Each of the clusters of the secondary opaque patterns includes a number of secondary opaque patterns, and extending directions of at least a portion of the secondary opaque patterns and the extending directions of the transparent slits together form included angles that are not equal to about 90°.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2008Publication date: January 14, 2010Applicant: AU OPTRONICS CORPORATIONInventor: Ming-Wei Sun
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Patent number: 7645337Abstract: In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a method for providing polycrystalline films having a controlled microstructure as well as a crystallographic texture. The methods provide elongated grains or single-crystal islands of a specified crystallographic orientation. In particular, a method of processing a film on a substrate includes generating a textured film having crystal grains oriented predominantly in one preferred crystallographic orientation; and then generating a microstructure using sequential lateral solidification crystallization that provides a location-controlled growth of the grains orientated in the preferred crystallographic orientation.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2004Date of Patent: January 12, 2010Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New YorkInventors: James S. Im, Paul Christian van der Wilt
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Patent number: 7642482Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2006Date of Patent: January 5, 2010Assignees: Advanced LCD Technologies Development Center Co., Ltd., Shimadzu CorporationInventors: Yoshio Takami, Tatsuhiro Taguchi
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Patent number: 7638377Abstract: In a crystallization process of an amorphous semiconductor film, a first polycrystalline semiconductor film, in which amorphous regions are dotted within the continuous crystal region, is obtained by performing heat treatment after introducing a metallic element which promotes crystallization on the amorphous semiconductor film. At this point, the amorphous regions are kept within a predetermined range. A laser beam having a wave length region, which can give more energy to the amorphous region than to the crystal region, is irradiated to the first polycrystalline semiconductor film, it is possible to crystallize the amorphous region without destroying the crystal region. If a TFT is manufactured based on a second polycrystalline semiconductor film, which is obtained through the above-mentioned crystallization processes, the TFT with high electric characteristics and less fluctuation can be obtained.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2007Date of Patent: December 29, 2009Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Koichiro Tanaka, Hideto Ohnuma, Chiho Kokubo
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Publication number: 20090317961Abstract: The inhomogeneous energy distribution at the beam spot on the irradiated surface is caused by a structural problem and processing accuracy of the cylindrical lens array forming an optical system. According to the present invention, in the optical system for forming a rectangular beam spot, an optical system for homogenizing the energy distribution of the shorter side direction of a rectangular beam spot of a laser light on an irradiated surface is replaced with a light guide. The light guide is a circuit that can confine emitted beams in a certain region and guide and transmit its energy flow in parallel with the axis of a path thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2009Publication date: December 24, 2009Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.Inventor: Koichiro TANAKA
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Patent number: 7635412Abstract: An laser crystallization device and a method for crystallizing silicon by using the same is disclosed, to carry out the crystallization process at both the X-axis and Y-axis directions without rotation of a stage, wherein the laser crystallization device is includes a mask including first and second regions, the first region having an open part oriented in the X-axis direction, and the second region having an open part oriented in the Y-axis direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2004Date of Patent: December 22, 2009Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yun Ho Jung
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Patent number: 7629235Abstract: According to the present invention, oxygen and nitrogen are effectively prevented from mixing into the semiconductor film by doping Ar or the like in the semiconductor film in advance, and by irradiating the laser light in the atmosphere of Ar or the like. Therefore, the variation of the impurity concentration due to the fluctuation of the energy density can be suppressed and the variation of the mobility of the semiconductor film can be also suppressed. Moreover, in TFT formed with the semiconductor film, the variation of the on-current in addition to the mobility can be also suppressed. Furthermore, in the present invention, the first laser light converted into the harmonic easily absorbed in the semiconductor film is irradiated to melt the semiconductor film and to increase the absorption coefficient of the fundamental wave.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2006Date of Patent: December 8, 2009Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Osamu Nakamura, Hironobu Shoji, Koichiro Tanaka
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Patent number: 7629234Abstract: A method is used in processing structures on or within a semiconductor substrate using N series of laser pulses to obtain a throughput benefit, wherein N?2. The structures are arranged in a plurality of substantially parallel rows extending in a generally lengthwise direction. The N series of laser pulses propagate along N respective beam axes until incident upon selected structures in N respective distinct rows. The method determines a joint velocity profile for simultaneously moving in the lengthwise direction the N laser beam axes substantially in unison relative to the semiconductor substrate so as to process structures in the N rows with the respective N series of laser pulses, whereby the joint velocity profile is such that the throughput benefit is achieved while ensuring that the joint velocity profile represents feasible velocities for each of the N series of laser pulses and for each of the respective N rows of structures processed with the N series of laser pulses.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2005Date of Patent: December 8, 2009Assignee: Electro Scientific Industries, Inc.Inventor: Kelly J. Bruland
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Patent number: 7629209Abstract: A method for fabricating polysilicon film is disclosed. First, a first substrate is provided, wherein a plurality of sunken patterns has been formed on the front surface of the first substrate. Then, a second substrate is provided and an amorphous polysilicon film is formed on the second substrate. Next, the amorphous polysilicon film formed on the second substrate is in contact with the front surface of the first substrate. The amorphous polysilicon film is transferred into a polysilicon film by performing an annealing process. Then, the first substrate and the second substrate are separated from each other. This method reduces the cost and the time for fabricating polysilicon film.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2005Date of Patent: December 8, 2009Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd.Inventors: YewChung Sermon Wu, Chih-Yuan Hou, Guo-Ren Hu, Po-Chih Liu
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Publication number: 20090294769Abstract: According to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present invention, a gate electrode is formed above a substrate, and a insulating film is formed above the gate electrode. Then, an amorphous semiconductor film is formed above the insulating film, laser annealing is performed on the amorphous semiconductor film, and the amorphous semiconductor film is changed to a crystalline semiconductor film. After that, hydrofluoric acid processing is performed on the crystalline semiconductor film, and an amorphous semiconductor film is formed above the crystalline semiconductor film where the hydrofluoric acid processing is performed so that pattern ends of the amorphous semiconductor film are arranged outside pattern ends of the crystalline semiconductor film and the amorphous semiconductor film contacts with the insulating film near the pattern ends.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2009Publication date: December 3, 2009Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventor: Tomoyuki IRIZUMI
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Patent number: 7625772Abstract: Method for making an electromechanical component on a plane substrate and comprising at least one structure vibrating in the plane of the substrate and actuation electrodes. The method comprises at least the following steps in sequence: formation of the substrate comprising one silicon area partly covered by two insulating areas, formation of a sacrificial silicon and germanium alloy layer by selective epitaxy starting from the uncovered part of the silicon area, formation of a strongly doped silicon layer by epitaxy, comprising a monocrystalline area arranged on said sacrificial layer and two polycrystalline areas arranged on insulating areas, simultaneous formation of the vibrating structure and actuation electrodes, by etching of a predetermined pattern in the monocrystalline area designed to form spaces between the electrodes and the vibrating structure, elimination of said sacrificial silicon and germanium alloy layer by selective etching.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2007Date of Patent: December 1, 2009Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie AtomiqueInventors: Fabrice Casset, Cedric Durand, Pascal Ancey
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Publication number: 20090291511Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor thin film includes the steps of: forming an amorphous semiconductor thin film on a substrate; forming a crystalline semiconductor thin film partially in each element region by applying laser light to the amorphous semiconductor thin film to selectively perform a heating process on the amorphous semiconductor thin film, thereby crystallizing the amorphous semiconductor thin film in a region irradiated with the laser light; and inspecting the crystallinity degree of the crystalline semiconductor thin film. The step of inspecting includes the steps of determining a contrast between the luminance of a crystallized region and the luminance of a non-crystallized region by applying light to the crystalline semiconductor thin film and the amorphous semiconductor thin film, and performing screening of the crystalline semiconductor thin film on the basis of the determined contrast.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2009Publication date: November 26, 2009Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara, Hirohisa Amago, Go Matsunobu, Katsuya Shirai
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Patent number: 7622370Abstract: A process and system for processing a thin film sample are provided. In particular, a beam generator can be controlled to emit at least one beam pulse. The beam pulse is then masked to produce at least one masked beam pulse, which is used to irradiate at least one portion of the thin film sample. With the at least one masked beam pulse, the portion of the film sample is irradiated with sufficient intensity for such portion to later crystallize. This portion of the film sample is allowed to crystallize so as to be composed of a first area and a second area. Upon the crystallization thereof, the first area includes a first set of grains, and the second area includes a second set of grains whose at least one characteristic is different from at least one characteristic of the second set of grains. The first area surrounds the second area, and is configured to allow an active region of a thin-film transistor (“TFT”) to be provided at a distance therefrom.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2003Date of Patent: November 24, 2009Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New YorkInventor: James S. Im
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Patent number: 7622369Abstract: A method of forming device isolation regions on a trench-formed silicon substrate and removing residual carbon therefrom includes providing a flowable, insulative material constituted by silicon, carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen or any combination of two or more thereof; forming a thin insulative layer, by using the flowable, insulative material, in a trench located on a semiconductor substrate wherein the flowable, insulative material forms a conformal coating in a silicon and nitrogen rich condition whereas in a carbon rich condition, the flowable, insulative material vertically grows from the bottom of the trenches; and removing the residual carbon deposits from the flowable, insulative material by multi-step curing, such as O2 thermal annealing, ozone UV curing followed by N2 thermal annealing.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2008Date of Patent: November 24, 2009Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.Inventors: Woo Jin Lee, Atsuki Fukazawa, Nobuo Matsuki
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Patent number: 7618852Abstract: The present invention provides a phase transition method of an amorphous material, comprising steps of: depositing the amorphous material on a dielectric substrate; forming a cap layer on the amorphous material; depositing a metal on the cap layer; and crystallizing the amorphous material. According to the present invention, the surface of the amorphous material is protected by the cap layer, so that clean surface can be obtained and the roughness of the surface can be remarkably reduced during thermal process and sample handling. In addition, the cap layer is disposed between the amorphous material and the metal to diffuse the metal, so that the metal contamination due to the direct contact of the metal and the amorphous material in the conventional method can be remarkably reduced.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2003Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: Silicon Display Technology Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jin Jang, Jonghyun Choi, Do-Young Kim, Byoung-Kwon Choo
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Patent number: 7618882Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2006Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Koichiro Tanaka, Hirotada Oishi
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Patent number: 7615502Abstract: A method to laser anneal a silicon stack (or a silicon-rich alloy) including a heavily doped region buried beneath an undoped or lightly doped region is disclosed. By F selecting laser energy at a wavelength that tends to be transmitted by crystalline silicon and absorbed by amorphous silicon, crystallization progresses through the silicon layers in a manner that minimizes or prevents diffusion of dopants upward from the doped region to the undoped or lightly doped region. In preferred embodiments, the laser energy is pulsed, and a thermally conductive structure beneath the heavily doped layer dissipates heat, helping to control the anneal and limit dopant diffusion.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2005Date of Patent: November 10, 2009Assignee: Sandisk 3D LLCInventor: Shuo Gu
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Patent number: 7615499Abstract: A method is presented in which a layer which is to be oxidized is processed, in a single-substrate process. The process temperature during the processing is recorded directly at the substrate or at a holding device for the substrate. The method includes introducing a substrate, which bears a layer to be oxidized uncovered in an edge region in a layer stack, into a heating device, passing an oxidation gas onto the substrate, heating the substrate to a process temperature, which is recorded during the processing via a temperature of a holding device which holds the substrate, and controlling the substrate temperature to a desired temperature or temperature curve during the processing.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2003Date of Patent: November 10, 2009Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventors: Hin-Yiu Chung, Thomas Gutt
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Publication number: 20090275178Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a polysilicon thin film and a method of manufacturing a TFT having the thin film, a laser beam is irradiated on a portion of an amorphous silicon thin film to liquefy the portion of the amorphous silicon thin film. The amorphous silicon thin film is on a first end portion of a substrate. The liquefied silicon is crystallized to form silicon grains. The laser beam is shifted from the first end portion towards a second end portion of the substrate opposite the first end portion by an interval in a first direction. The laser beam is then irradiated onto a portion of the amorphous silicon thin film adjacent to the silicon grains to form a first polysilicon thin film. Therefore, electrical characteristics of the amorphous silicon thin film may be improved.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2009Publication date: November 5, 2009Inventors: Se-Jin CHUNG, Chi-Woo Kim, Ui-Jin Chung, Dong-Byum Kim
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Semiconductor thin film manufacturing method and device, beam-shaping mask, and thin film transistor
Patent number: 7611577Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor thin film decreases the number of and controls the direction of crystal grain boundaries. A first beam irradiated onto amorphous silicon produces a radial temperature gradient centered on a tip of a concave. This forms a crystal grain in the concave tip, which grows in both the beam width and length direction. After the second beam and on, growth is repeated using the crystal grain formed in the tip of the concave as the seed. This forms a band-form crystal grain with a wider than that of the conventional narrow-line beam, with the tip of the concave being the start point. Further, by setting the periphery of the concave pattern to be equal or less than the crystal grain diameter in the direction vertical to the beam scanning direction, it is possible to form the band-form crystal grain being lined continuously.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2005Date of Patent: November 3, 2009Assignee: NEC CorporationInventor: Mitsuru Nakata -
Patent number: 7611807Abstract: In the present invention, a method is used for forming a poly-silicon film that uses sequential lateral solidification (SLS) with two laser irradiations using a mask for patterning the laser beam so as to increase the grain length. The method also achieves enhancing the throughput due to the use of a mask that is designed for the method.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2006Date of Patent: November 3, 2009Assignee: Industrial Technology Research InstituteInventors: Hung-Tse Chen, Yu-Cheng Chen, Fang-Tsun Chu
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Patent number: 7608527Abstract: Even when the laser irradiation is performed under the same condition with the energy distribution of the beam spot shaped as appropriate, the energy given to the irradiated surface is not yet homogeneous. When a semiconductor film is crystallized to form a crystalline semiconductor film using such inhomogeneous irradiation energy, the crystallinity becomes inhomogeneous in this film, and the characteristic of semiconductor elements manufactured using this film varies. In the present invention, an irradiated object formed over a substrate is irradiated with a laser beam having the pulse width that is an order of picosecond (10?12 second) or less.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2004Date of Patent: October 27, 2009Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Koichiro Tanaka, Yoshiaki Yamamoto
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Patent number: 7608528Abstract: A substrate cover includes a frame-like member configured to be placed on a substrate which is to be written using a charged particle beam, and to have an outer perimeter dimension larger than a perimeter end of the substrate and an inner perimeter dimension, being a border between the frame-like member and an inner opening portion, smaller than the perimeter end of the substrate, and a contact point part configured to be provided on an undersurface of the frame-like member, in order to be electrically connected to the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2007Date of Patent: October 27, 2009Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.Inventor: Yuichi Tachikawa
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Patent number: 7608529Abstract: A display panel comprises a substrate having a displaying region (such as active organic light emitting region) and a circuit driving region; and a polysilicon layer formed on the substrate and having a first polysilicon portion and a second polysilicon portion respectively corresponding to the displaying region and circuit driving region, wherein the grain size of the second polysilicon portion crystallized by continuous wave (CW) laser annealing method is larger than that of the first polysilicon portion crystallized by excimer laser annealing (ELA) method.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2007Date of Patent: October 27, 2009Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.Inventors: Tsung-Yi Hsu, Chih-Hsiung Chang
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Publication number: 20090258465Abstract: A silicon crystallization mask of the present invention includes; a main exposure portion including a plurality of complete light transmission regions which completely transmit light therethrough, and a preliminary exposure portion including a plurality of incomplete light transmission regions, which each partially transmit light therethrough, wherein at least two of the incomplete light transmission regions have different magnitudes of light transmittance from each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2009Publication date: October 15, 2009Applicant: SAMSUNG ELLECTRONIC CO., LTD.Inventor: Se-Jin CHUNG
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Patent number: 7598160Abstract: A method for manufacturing thin film semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor thin film includes a semiconductor thin film and a gate electrode and has an active region turned into a polycrystalline region through irradiation with an energy beam. The gate electrode is provided to traverse the active region. In a channel part that is the active region overlapping with the gate electrode, a crystalline state is changed cyclically in a channel length direction, and areas each having a substantially same crystalline state traverse the channel part.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2008Date of Patent: October 6, 2009Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Akio Machida, Toshio Fujino, Tadahiro Kono
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Publication number: 20090246939Abstract: A dehydrogenation treatment method which includes forming a hydrogenated amorphous silicon film above a non-heat-resistant substrate, and eliminating bonded hydrogen from the hydrogenated amorphous silicon film by irradiating an atmospheric thermal plasma discharge to the hydrogenated amorphous silicon film for a time period of 1 to 500 ms. The surface of the substrate is heated at a temperature of 1000 to 2000° C. by irradiating the atmospheric thermal plasma discharge.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2009Publication date: October 1, 2009Inventors: Kazufumi AZUMA, Hajime Shirai
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Patent number: 7589032Abstract: Continuous wave laser apparatus with enhanced processing efficiency is provided as well as a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the laser apparatus. The laser apparatus has: a laser oscillator; a unit for rotating a process object; a unit for moving the center of the rotation along a straight line; and an optical system for processing laser light that is outputted from the laser oscillator to irradiate with the laser light a certain region within the moving range of the process object. The laser apparatus is characterized in that the certain region is on a line extended from the straight line and that the position at which the certain region overlaps the process object is moved by rotating the process object while moving the center of the rotation along the straight line.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2002Date of Patent: September 15, 2009Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Koichiro Tanaka, Hidekazu Miyairi, Aiko Shiga, Akihisa Shimomura, Mai Akiba
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Patent number: 7588990Abstract: A plasma enhanced physical vapor deposition process deposits an amorphous carbon layer on an ion-implanted wafer for use in dynamic surface annealing of the wafer with an intense line beam of a laser wavelength. The deposition process is carried out at a wafer temperature below the dopant clustering threshold temperature, and includes introducing the wafer into a chamber and furnishing a hydrocarbon process gas into the chamber, preferably propylene (C3H6) or toluene (C7H8) or acetylene (C2H2) or a mixture of acetylene and methane (C2H4). The process further includes inductively coupling RF plasma source power into the chamber while and applying RF plasma bias power to the wafer. The wafer bias voltage is set to a level at which the amorphous carbon layer that is deposited has a desired stress (compressive or tensile). We have discovered that at a wafer temperature less than or equal to 475 degrees C.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2007Date of Patent: September 15, 2009Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Vijay Parihar, Christopher Dennis Bencher, Rajesh Kanuri, Marlon E. Menezes
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Publication number: 20090224253Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2009Publication date: September 10, 2009Inventors: Tomoya KATO, Masakiyo MATSUMURA
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Patent number: 7585791Abstract: In conducting laser annealing using a CW laser or a quasi-CW laser, productivity is not high as compared with an excimer laser and thus, it is necessary to further enhance productivity. According to the present invention, a fundamental wave is used without putting laser light into a non linear optical element, and laser annealing is conducted by irradiating a semiconductor thin film with pulsed laser light having a high repetition rate. A laser oscillator having a high output power can be used for laser annealing, since a non linear optical element is not used and thus light is not converted to a harmonic. Therefore, the width of a region having large grain crystals that is formed by scanning once can be increased, and thus the productivity can be enhanced dramatically.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2005Date of Patent: September 8, 2009Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Koichiro Tanaka, Yoshiaki Yamamoto
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Patent number: 7582541Abstract: A wafer laser processing method for forming a groove along streets in a wafer by moving the wafer at a predetermined feed rate while a laser beam whose focal spot is elliptic is applied along the streets formed on the wafer, comprising: a groove forming step for forming a groove along the streets by applying a first laser beam whose elliptic focal spot has a ratio of the long axis to the short axis of 30 to 60:1, along the streets formed on the wafer; and a debris removing step for removing debris accumulated in the groove by applying a second laser beam whose elliptic focal spot has a ratio of the long axis to the short axis of 1 to 20:1, along the groove formed by the groove forming step; the groove forming step and the debris removing step being repeated alternately.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2007Date of Patent: September 1, 2009Assignee: Disco CorporationInventors: Noboru Takeda, Yukio Morishige
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Patent number: 7575985Abstract: In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device using a substrate having low heat resistance, such as a glass substrate, there is provided a method of efficiently carrying out crystallization of a semiconductor film and gettering treatment of a catalytic element used for the crystallization by a heating treatment in a short time without deforming the substrate. A heating treatment method of the present invention is characterized in that a light source is controlled in a pulsed manner to irradiate a semiconductor film, so that a heating treatment of the semiconductor film is efficiently carried out in a short time, and damage of the substrate due to heat is prevented.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2006Date of Patent: August 18, 2009Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Tamae Takano, Koji Dairiki
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Patent number: 7575958Abstract: A programmable fuse and method of formation utilizing a layer of silicon germanium (SiGe) (e.g. monocrystalline) as a thermal insulator to contain heat generated during programming. The programmable fuse, in some examples, may be devoid of any dielectric materials between a conductive layer and a substrate. In one example, the conductive layer serves as programmable material, that in a low impedance state, electrically couples conductive structures. A programming current is applied to the programmable material to modify the programmable material to place the fuse in a high impedance state.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2005Date of Patent: August 18, 2009Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: Alexander B. Hoefler, Marius K. Orlowski
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Publication number: 20090194770Abstract: A first amorphous silicon layer is formed over a substrate and a second amorphous silicon layer is formed over the first amorphous silicon layer. When a laser annealing process is performed, the second amorphous silicon layer absorbs more laser light than the first amorphous silicon layer does. The first amorphous silicon layer crystallizes into a microcrystalline silicon layer and the second amorphous silicon layer crystallizes into a polysilicon layer. During the laser annealing process, light interference between the first amorphous silicon layer and an underlying buffer layer is eliminated owing to that the second amorphous silicon layer absorbs more laser light. The laser fringe is eliminated. The microcrystalline silicon layer with better crystalline uniformity can serve as an active layer for TFTs in the display area of an OLED display to improve its illumination uniformity.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2008Publication date: August 6, 2009Applicant: TPO DISPLAYS CORP.Inventors: Hanson LIU, Ryan LEE
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Patent number: 7569439Abstract: A thin film semiconductor device has a semiconductor thin film with a film thickness of 200 nm or less. The semiconductor thin film is formed over a dielectric substrate with a warping point of 600° C. or lower. The semiconductor thin film has a region in which a first semiconductor thin film region with the defect density of 1×1017 cm?3 or less and a second semiconductor thin film region with the defect density of 1×1017 cm?3 or more are disposed alternately in the form of stripes. The width of the first semiconductor thin film region is larger than the width of the semiconductor thin film region. The grain boundaries, grain size and orientation of crystals over the dielectric substrate are controlled, so that a high quality thin film semiconductor device is obtained.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2005Date of Patent: August 4, 2009Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Mutsuko Hatano, Shinya Yamaguchi, Takeo Shiba
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Publication number: 20090189137Abstract: In a phase change memory, electric property of a diode used as a selection device is extremely important. However, since crystal grain boundaries are present in the film of a diode using polysilicon, it involves a problem that the off leak property varies greatly making it difficult to prevent erroneous reading. For overcoming the problem, the present invention provides a method of controlling the temperature profile of an amorphous silicon in the laser annealing for crystallizing and activating the amorphous silicon thereby controlling the crystal grain boundaries. According to the invention, variation in the electric property of the diode can be decreased and the yield of the phase-change memory can be improved.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2009Publication date: July 30, 2009Inventors: Masaharu Kinoshita, Motoyasu Terao, Hideyuki Matsuoka, Yoshitaka Sasago, Yoshinobu Kimura, Akio Shima, Mitsuharu Tai, Norikatsu Takaura
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Patent number: 7566617Abstract: A base substrate is first prepared, and a high dielectric amorphous film composed of a high permittivity material is formed over the base substrate. Next, an amorphous silicon film is formed over the high dielectric amorphous film with an amorphization temperature of the high permittivity material as a deposition temperature. Then, the amorphous silicon film is processed by a photolithography method and dry etching to form gate electrode forming films. Wet etching with the gate electrode forming films as masks is next performed to allow portions of the high dielectric amorphous film, which are covered with the gate electrode forming films to remain and remove exposed portions of the high dielectric amorphous film. Next, the gate electrode forming films are thermally treated to reform amorphous silicon into polysilicon so as to constitute gate electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2006Date of Patent: July 28, 2009Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Toyokazu Sakata
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Patent number: 7566625Abstract: For manufacture of a semiconductor device using a low heat resistant substrate such as a glass substrate, a method of heat treatment for activating an impurity element that is used to dope a semiconductor film and for performing gettering on the semiconductor film in a short period of time without deforming the substrate, is provided. Also provided is a heat treatment apparatus for carrying out the above heat treatment. The heat treatment method of the present invention involves irradiating an object with light emitted from a lamp light source, and is characterized in that the lamp light source emits light for 0.1 to 20 seconds at a time and that light from the lamp light source irradiates the object several times. The method is also characterized in that the irradiated region is subjected to pulsating light from the lamp light source such that the irradiated region holds the temperature to its highest for 0.5 to 5 seconds.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2003Date of Patent: July 28, 2009Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventor: Koji Dairiki
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Publication number: 20090186468Abstract: In crystallizing an amorphous silicon film by illuminating it with linear pulse laser beams having a normal-distribution type beam profile or a similar beam profile, the linear pulse laser beams are applied in an overlapped manner. There can be obtained effects similar to those as obtained by a method in which the laser illumination power is gradually increased and then decreased in a step-like manner in plural scans.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2009Publication date: July 23, 2009Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.Inventors: Naoto Kusumoto, Koichiro Tanaka