Laser annealer and laser thin-film forming apparatus

Abstract

A laser annealer has a laser light source with at least one GaN-type semiconductor laser and is configured so as to form emission points that emit laser beams having a wavelength of 350 to 450 nm, and a scanning device for scanning an annealing surface with the laser beams. The laser annealer may have a spatial light modulator for modulating the laser beams, and in which pixel portions whose light modulating states change in accordance with control signals are arranged on a substrate. The invention is applied to a laser thin-film forming apparatus. The apparatus has a laser source that has at least one semiconductor laser and is configured so as to form emission points, and an optical system for focusing laser beams into a single beam in the width direction of a substrate.

1 . A laser annealer comprising: 
 a laser light source including at least one GaN-type semiconductor laser, the laser light source is configured so as to form a plurality of emission points for emitting laser beams having a wavelength in a range from 350 nm to 450 nm by said at least one GaN-type semiconductor laser; and    a scanner for scanning an annealing surface with the laser beams emitted from the laser light source said annealer forming crystallization of an amorphous structure at the annealing surface.    
   
   
       2 .- 4 . (canceled)  
   
   
       5 . A laser annealer comprising: 
 a laser light source including at least one GaN-type semiconductor laser, the laser light source configured so as to form a plurality of emission points for emitting laser beams having a wavelength in a range from 350 nm to 450 nm by said at least one GaN-type semiconductor laser;    a spatial light modulator for modulating the laser beams emitted from the laser light source, the spatial light modulator being such that a number of pixel portions light modulating states of which are changed in accordance with respective control signals are arranged on a substrate; and    a scanner for scanning an annealing surface with laser beams modulated by the pixel portions said annealer forming crystallization of an amorphous structure at the annealing surface.    
   
   
       6 .- 7 . (canceled)  
   
   
       8 . The laser annealer according to  claim 5 , wherein the spatial light modulator is a micromirror device in which a plurality of micromirrors having respective reflecting surfaces angles of which can be changed in accordance with respective control signals are arranged two-dimensionally on a substrate.  
   
   
       9 . The laser annealer according to  claim 5 , further comprising a controller for controlling pixel portions that are smaller in number than all the pixel portions arranged on the substrate using respective control signals that are generated on the basis of annealing information.  
   
   
       10 .- 16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . A laser thin-film forming apparatus comprising: 
 a laser light source including at least one semiconductor laser, the laser light source configured so as to form a plurality of emission points by said at least one semiconductor laser; and    an optical system for focusing laser beams emitted from the laser light source into a line-shaped beam that extends in a width direction of a substrate,    wherein a thin film is deposited on the substrate by inputting the laser beams to a reaction container and causing a material gas supplied to the reaction container to be photodecomposed by the line-shaped beam.    
   
   
       18 . The laser thin-film forming apparatus according to  claim 17 , further comprising a movable stage that is mounted with the substrate and can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the width direction of the substrate.  
   
   
       19 . The laser thin-film forming apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the laser light source includes one of: 
 (1) a multiplexing laser light source comprising a plurality of semiconductor lasers, a single optical fiber, and a converging optical system for converging laser beams emitted from the respective semiconductor lasers and inputting the converged beams to an incidence end of the optical fiber;    (2) a multiplexing laser light source comprising a plurality of multi-cavity lasers each having a plurality of emission points, a single optical fiber, and a converging optical system for converging laser beams emitted from the multi-cavity lasers and inputting the converged beams to an incidence end of the optical fiber;    (3) a multiplexing laser light source comprising a multi-cavity laser having a plurality of emission points, a single optical fiber, and a converging optical system for converging laser beams emitted from the respective emission points and inputting the converged beams to an incidence end of the optical fiber;    (4) one of a fiber array light source and a fiber bundle light source comprising a plurality of multiplexing laser light sources as recited above, wherein emission points at exit ends of the optical fibers of the multiplexing laser light sources are arranged in array form or bundle form; and    (5) one of a fiber array light source and a fiber bundle light source comprising a plurality of fiber light sources each comprising a single semiconductor laser, a single optical fiber, and a condensing optical system for condensing a laser beam emitted from the single semiconductor laser and inputting the condensed beam to an incidence end of the optical fiber, wherein emission points at exit ends of the optical fibers of the fiber light sources are arranged in array form or bundle form.    
   
   
       20 . The laser thin-film forming apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the exit ends of the optical fibers are sealed.  
   
   
       21 . The laser thin-film forming apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the laser light source includes one of: 
 (1) a multiplexing laser light source comprising a plurality of semiconductor lasers, a single optical fiber, and a converging optical system for converging laser beams emitted from the respective semiconductor lasers and inputting the converged beams to an incidence end of the optical fiber;    (2) a multiplexing laser light source comprising a plurality of multi-cavity lasers each having a plurality of emission points, a single optical fiber, and a converging optical system for converging laser beams emitted from the multi-cavity lasers and inputting the converged beams to an incidence end of the optical fiber;    (3) a multiplexing laser light source comprising a multi-cavity laser having a plurality of emission points, a single optical fiber, and a converging optical system for converging laser beams emitted from the respective emission points and inputting the converged beams to an incidence end of the optical fiber;    (4) one of a fiber array light source and a fiber bundle light source comprising a plurality of multiplexing laser light sources as recited above, wherein emission points at exit ends of the optical fibers of the multiplexing laser light sources are arranged in array form or bundle form; and    (5) one of a fiber array light source and a fiber bundle light source comprising a plurality of fiber light sources each comprising a single semiconductor laser, a single optical fiber, and a condensing optical system for condensing a laser beam emitted from the single semiconductor laser and inputting the condensed beam to an incidence end of the optical fiber, wherein emission points at exit ends of the optical fibers of the fiber light sources are arranged in array form or bundle form.    
   
   
       22 . The laser thin-film forming apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the laser light source comprises a group-III-element nitride type semiconductor laser or lasers having a light-emitting layer that contains at least one of Al, Ga, and In.  
   
   
       23 . A laser thin-film forming apparatus comprising: 
 a laser light source in which emission points of a laser light exit section for emitting laser beams are arranged in line parallel with a width direction of a solid material; and    an optical system for focusing the laser beams emitted from the laser light source into a line-shaped beam that extends in the width direction of the solid material, wherein a thin film is deposited on a substrate by inputting the laser beams to a reaction container and causing the solid material accommodated in the reaction container to be vaporized by applying the line-shaped beam to the solid material.    
   
   
       24 . The annealer of  claim 1 , wherein the light source outputs a light density of 400-700 mJ/cm 2  at the annealing surface.  
   
   
       25 . The laser annealer of  claim 5 , wherein the light source outputs a light density of 400-700 mJ/cm 2  at the annealing surface.