JP2008244195A - Laser annealer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser annealer which can decrease variation of anneal effect drastically by reducing an oxygen concentration sufficiently in an irradiation portion of laser beams. <P>SOLUTION: The laser annealer 1 has a board stage 10 and a spray nozzle 17 which has a rectangular opening 18 extending in a longitudinal direction of beams for emitting an inactive gas 19 from the rectangular opening 18 to spray it to a board 2. Further, the laser annealer 1 comprises a gas supply mechanism for supplying the inactive gas to a wider range than an irradiation portion of laser beams 4, and a skirt member 32 extending from an outer end of a board placing face of the board stage 10 toward the outside. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser annealing apparatus that performs annealing by irradiating a substrate with laser light.

In a manufacturing process of a thin film transistor (TFT) in the field of semiconductors and liquid crystals, a semiconductor film such as an a-Si (amorphous silicon) film formed on a substrate is irradiated with a laser beam to crystallize or activate the semiconductor film. Laser annealing is performed to modify the above.
In general, in laser annealing, laser light that has been oscillated continuously or pulsed is processed into a linear or elongated rectangular beam (hereinafter referred to as a rectangular beam) using an optical system. Irradiation is performed while relatively moving the a-Si film on the substrate in the short direction of the beam. In general, the position of the rectangular beam is fixed and the entire surface of the substrate is irradiated with the rectangular beam by moving the substrate.

  When irradiating a laser beam to the substrate in such laser annealing, if oxygen in the atmosphere touches the irradiated portion of the laser beam, irregularities are formed on the substrate surface, an oxide film is formed on the substrate surface, etc. Problems arise. As a method for solving such a problem, there is a method of lowering the oxygen concentration in the laser irradiation region by setting the whole apparatus as a chamber and setting a substrate inside the chamber and setting the inside of the chamber to a vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere (for example, , See Patent Document 1 below).

  However, the above-described chamber system has a problem in that the processing throughput cannot be improved because the chamber is evacuated or filled with an inert gas, so that it takes time to evacuate the chamber or fill with the inert gas. In particular, when processing a substrate for a recent large-sized liquid crystal display, the chamber is also increased in size, so that these problems are remarkable. Also, the vacuuming method is an environment in which the melting point of the semiconductor film is low and it is easy to evaporate. Therefore, during annealing, the semiconductor film evaporates, deposits on the laser irradiation system (lens, etc.), and the laser irradiation amount This leads to lowering and non-uniformity and requires constant maintenance.

Various techniques for solving the problems of the chamber system described above have been proposed.
In the following Patent Document 2, a nitrogen gas injection means having a slit through which a laser beam passes and a plate-like nozzle having a plurality of nitrogen gas outlets provided around the slit is used, and nitrogen gas is supplied from the nitrogen gas outlet. A laser annealing apparatus has been proposed which aims to lower the oxygen concentration in the laser irradiation region by spraying and making the nitrogen atmosphere only in the vicinity of the laser irradiation portion.

  Further, in Patent Document 3 below, a laser irradiation region is obtained by jetting nitrogen gas from a nozzle having a tip opening extending in the same direction as a rectangular beam toward the substrate, and setting only the vicinity of the laser irradiation portion to a nitrogen atmosphere. Has proposed a laser annealing device aimed at lowering the oxygen concentration of the metal.

JP 2002-217124 A Japanese Patent No. 3502981 JP 2004-152823 A

  However, in the method in which the inert gas is simply sprayed as in the prior arts of Patent Documents 2 and 3, the gas flow rate distribution in the spray nozzle region is not uniform, and a portion in which the oxygen concentration is not sufficiently lowered is generated. There is a problem that variations in the annealing effect occur in the surface direction of the substrate after processing. Alternatively, a method of flowing a large amount of inert gas in order to improve the uniformity of gas flow distribution can be considered, but there is a problem that the amount of gas used increases and the manufacturing cost increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a laser annealing apparatus capable of greatly reducing the variation in annealing effect by sufficiently reducing the oxygen concentration in the laser light irradiated portion. And

In order to solve the above problems, the laser annealing apparatus of the present invention employs the following means.
(1) The present invention is a laser annealing apparatus for performing annealing by irradiating a laser beam focused on a linear or rectangular beam on the surface of the substrate while relatively moving the substrate in the short direction of the beam. A substrate stage on which the substrate is placed, and a spray nozzle that has a rectangular opening extending in the longitudinal direction of the beam and blows inert gas out of the rectangular opening and blows it onto the substrate, and is wider than the portion irradiated with the laser beam. A gas supply mechanism for supplying an inert gas to the area; and a skirt member extending outward from an outer end portion of the substrate mounting surface of the substrate stage, wherein the spray nozzle includes an edge portion of the substrate When the region is irradiated with laser light, a part of the rectangular opening comes to a position outside the substrate stage, and the skirt member is closer to the substrate stage than the rectangular stage. Characterized in that it extends to the outside than the same whether the parts as exiting outward.

According to the above configuration, the gas supply mechanism can spray the inert gas onto the laser light irradiation portion and only the laser light irradiation portion and the vicinity thereof can be set to the inert gas atmosphere. The oxygen concentration in the portion irradiated with the laser light can be lowered without filling with the active gas.
In the spray nozzle having a rectangular opening, the flow rate at the end of the rectangular opening is reduced due to the influence of fluid resistance on the inner wall of the nozzle, so that the gas spray region is wider than the portion irradiated with the laser beam. On the other hand, since it is advantageous from the viewpoint of driving that the substrate stage is small and light, the substrate stage is made to have a size with an area close to the substrate. In this case, a part of the rectangular opening of the injection nozzle protrudes to the outside of the stage, and the protruding portion has a reduced fluid resistance. For this reason, when a constant flow rate is allowed to flow without controlling the gas flow rate, the gas flow rate in the protruding portion is relatively increased, so that the gas flow rate in the gas blowing region on the substrate side is relatively reduced and the oxygen concentration is sufficiently high. It does not fall. Therefore, the present invention includes a skirt member that extends outward from the outer end portion of the substrate placement surface of the substrate stage. Since the inert gas is blown onto the skirt member, there is no difference in fluid resistance between the gas flow rate in the gas blowing region on the substrate side and the gas flow rate in the portion protruding from the substrate stage. A flow of inert gas can be blown, and the oxygen concentration can be lowered sufficiently in the laser beam irradiation area, ensuring a uniform annealing state over the entire laser beam irradiation area and greatly varying the annealing effect. Can be reduced.

(2) Further, in the laser annealing apparatus, the gas supply mechanism has a lower surface that is close to and faces the substrate in parallel and forms a flow path of an inert gas between the lower surface and the substrate, and laser light. The rectangular opening of the injection nozzle is provided at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the laser light irradiation portion in the lateral direction.

  According to the above configuration, a uniform gas flow is formed between the parallel opposing body and the substrate in the longitudinal direction of the beam, and the inert gas can be uniformly supplied to the laser irradiation region. Can be lowered efficiently. In addition, since the inert gas flows in one direction through the flow path of the minute gap formed between the parallel opposing body and the substrate, the oxygen concentration can be uniformly reduced without using a large amount of inert gas. It becomes.

(3) In the laser annealing apparatus, the skirt member is provided on the entire circumference of the end portion of the substrate mounting surface of the substrate stage.

  With the above configuration, the spray nozzle is ejected from the portion protruding from the substrate stage in both cases where the longitudinal end portion of the spray nozzle protrudes from the substrate stage and the short end portion of the spray nozzle protrudes from the substrate stage. Since the inert gas is sprayed onto the skirt member, a uniform flow rate of inert gas can be sprayed onto the substrate to sufficiently reduce the oxygen concentration.

(4) In the above laser annealing apparatus, the substrate stage is opened at the substrate placement surface and side surface so that a hand portion of a substrate transfer device that transfers the substrate to and from the substrate stage can pass therethrough. A cutout portion is provided, and a portion of the skirt member adjacent to the cutout portion is configured to be movable so as not to mechanically interfere with the hand.

  According to the above configuration, the portion adjacent to the notch portion of the substrate stage in the skirt member is configured to be movable so as not to mechanically interfere with the hand portion of the substrate transport apparatus. The substrate can be transferred to and from the substrate stage.

(5) Further, in the above laser annealing apparatus, the substrate stage is opened at the substrate mounting surface and the side surface so that a hand portion of a substrate transfer device that transfers the substrate to and from the substrate stage can pass therethrough. A cutout portion is provided, and the entire skirt member is configured to be movable so as not to mechanically interfere with the hand portion.

  According to the above configuration, the entire skirt member is configured to be movable so as not to mechanically interfere with the hand portion of the substrate transfer apparatus. Therefore, the conventional substrate transfer apparatus is applied as it is and between the substrate stage and the substrate stage. The substrate can be delivered with

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect that the variation in the annealing effect can be greatly reduced by sufficiently reducing the oxygen concentration in the laser light irradiated portion.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the common part in each figure, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a laser annealing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The laser annealing apparatus 1 includes a laser beam 4 condensed into a linear or elongated rectangular beam (hereinafter referred to as a rectangular beam) on the surface of a semiconductor film 3 (see FIG. 2) formed on a substrate 2. This is an apparatus for modifying (polycrystallizing or activating) the semiconductor film 3 by irradiating the substrate 2 while moving it relatively in the short direction of the rectangular beam. The semiconductor film 3 is, for example, an a-Si film.
Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the rectangular beam is referred to as “beam longitudinal direction”, and the short direction of the rectangular beam is referred to as “beam short direction”.

As shown in FIG. 1, the laser annealing apparatus 1 includes a laser irradiation apparatus 5 that irradiates a surface of a substrate 2 with pulsed laser light 4 and a substrate stage 10 on which the substrate 2 is placed.
The laser irradiation device 5 includes a laser light source 6 that emits pulsed laser light 4, a beam shaping optical system 7 that shapes the laser light 4 so as to form a rectangular beam on the surface of the substrate 2, and a beam shaping optical system 7. A mirror 8 that reflects the laser beam 4 toward the substrate 2 is provided. As the laser light source 6 may be applied gas laser such as an excimer laser, YAG, YLF, solid-state laser such as a YVO _4, a semiconductor laser.

The substrate stage 10 is configured to be movable two-dimensionally in a horizontal plane by a stage driving mechanism (not shown).
Therefore, in this laser annealing apparatus 1, the substrate 2 is moved in the beam short direction by the substrate stage 10, so that the laser light 4 is moved relative to the substrate 2 in the beam short direction.

  What is indicated by reference numeral 12 is a substrate transfer device 12 that transfers the substrate 2 to and from the substrate stage 10. The substrate transfer device 12 has a hand unit 13 that can hold and release the substrate 2, and transfers the substrate 2 to and from the substrate stage 10 by moving the hand unit 13 three-dimensionally.

  The laser annealing apparatus 1 configured as described above irradiates the entire surface of the substrate 2 with laser light 4 focused on a rectangular beam on the surface of the substrate 2 while moving the substrate 2 in the beam transverse direction. Scan. Thereby, the entire surface of the substrate 2 is annealed, and the semiconductor film 3 is polycrystallized and activated.

  Further, the dimension in the beam longitudinal direction of the substrate 2 to be processed in the present embodiment is longer than the length in the beam longitudinal direction at the irradiated portion of the laser light 4. For this reason, the entire surface of the substrate 2 cannot be annealed only by moving the substrate 2 once in the beam minor axis direction. Therefore, when processing such a large-area substrate 2, the laser beam 4 is irradiated while moving the substrate 2 in the short direction of the beam, and after scanning to the end of the substrate 2, the length in the longitudinal direction of the beam is equivalent to that length. The entire surface of the substrate 2 is annealed by moving the substrate 2 and then irradiating the laser beam 4 while moving the substrate 2 in the beam minor axis direction opposite to the previous moving direction, and repeating this multiple times.

As shown in FIG. 1, the laser annealing apparatus 1 further includes a gas supply mechanism 16 that supplies an inert gas to the irradiated portion of the laser light 4 and purges with the inert gas.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the gas supply mechanism 16. In FIG. 2, the left-right direction is the beam short direction. The gas supply mechanism 16 includes a spray nozzle 17 having a rectangular opening 18 extending in the beam longitudinal direction. The inert gas 19 is sprayed from the rectangular opening 18 of the spray nozzle 17 and sprayed onto the substrate 2. As the inert gas 19, nitrogen, helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, ununoctium, or the like can be used.

  3 is a cross-sectional view of the spray nozzle 17 in FIG. 2 taken along line III-III. As shown in FIG. 3, the spray nozzle 17 in the present embodiment is configured so that an inert gas 19 supplied from a gas supply pipe 21 is introduced into a hollow structure nozzle body 20 in which a rectangular opening 18 is formed in a lower portion. A distribution pipe 22 that distributes in the longitudinal direction of the beam, and a rectifying resistor 23 that rectifies the inert gas 19 from the distribution pipe 22 and equalizes the flow rate in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of the beam (for example, in the shape of punching metal) In terms of material, an alumite coat or the like for preventing dust generation is provided, and the rectangular opening 18 is disposed so as to face the surface of the substrate 2. In the present embodiment, the ejected inert gas 19 collides with the substrate 2 perpendicularly.

  What is shown below the spray nozzle 17 in FIG. 3 is a flow rate distribution of the inert gas 19 ejected from the rectangular opening 18. As shown in this distribution, the spray nozzle having the rectangular opening 18. 17, the gas flow rate at the end portion (short side portion) in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular opening 18 decreases due to the influence of fluid resistance on the inner wall of the nozzle. Similarly, the gas flow rate also decreases at the end (long side) of the rectangular opening 18 in the short direction. For this reason, the rectangular opening 18 is longer (wider) than the irradiated portion of the laser light 4 so that a gas having a uniform flow rate is blown to the irradiated portion of the laser light 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the gas supply mechanism 16 in this embodiment further includes a parallel opposing body 26 that forms a flow path of an inert gas 19 between the substrate 2 and the gas supply mechanism 16.
The parallel opposing body 26 has a lower surface that faces and opposes the substrate 2 in parallel and has a transmission window 29 that transmits the laser light 4. In the present embodiment, the parallel facing body 26 includes a facing portion 27 that faces the substrate 2 in parallel and a side portion 28 that extends upward from both sides in the beam short direction end of the facing portion 27. It is attached to an appropriate part. The facing portion 27 is formed with a lower surface 30 that is close to and faces the substrate 2 in parallel and a part thereof is a transmission window 29. The transmission window 29 is made of a material having good transmittance of the laser beam 4 (for example, glass), and the lower surface thereof is flush with the lower surface 30 of the surrounding facing portion 27.

  The distance between the lower surface 30 of the parallel opposing body 26 and the substrate 2 when performing the annealing treatment is set to such an extent that the two do not contact each other and the inert gas 19 can pass therebetween. If the interval is too large, the flow rate of the inert gas 19 flowing between them becomes slow, and a large amount of the inert gas 19 is required to blow off the air in the flow path. good.

  In the laser annealing apparatus 1 configured as described above, when the inert gas 19 is ejected from the spray nozzle 17, the gas flow collides with the surface of the substrate 2 and is divided before and after the moving direction of the substrate 2. One gas flow flows into the flow path between the substrate 2 and the parallel opposing body 26 and blows off the air present in the flow path ahead of the flow direction together with the boundary layer on the surface of the substrate 2. The other gas flow blows off the air in front of the flow direction together with the boundary layer on the surface of the substrate 2 to prevent the air from entering the flow path.

  At this time, the inert gas 19 uniformized in the beam longitudinal direction flows between the parallel opposing body 26 and the substrate 2 as a flow path, and the boundary layer on the surface of the substrate 2 is removed by the gas flow. Therefore, the gas flow in the flow path flows without being disturbed in one direction. Further, since the parallel opposing body 26 is provided with a transmission window 29 that transmits the laser beam 4, the gas flow in the irradiated portion of the rectangular beam also flows in one direction without disturbance.

  Therefore, the flow of the inert gas 19 becomes uniform in the longitudinal direction of the beam in the irradiated portion of the laser beam 4, and this irradiated portion can be purged uniformly and the oxygen concentration can be lowered sufficiently. Variations in the annealing effect occurring in the surface direction can be greatly reduced. In addition, since the atmosphere of the inert gas 19 prevents the atmosphere from entering the flow path, the irradiated portion of the laser beam 4 can be efficiently purged. In addition, since the inert gas 19 flows in one direction using the flow path between the parallel opposing body 26 and the substrate 2, a uniform purge can be performed without using a large amount of the inert gas 19.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the spray nozzle 17 is preferably installed on the upstream side in the moving direction of the substrate 2 with respect to the irradiated portion of the laser beam 4. With this configuration, the gas flow of the inert gas 19 flowing downstream in the movement direction of the substrate 2 matches the movement direction of the substrate 2, so that the flow of the substrate 2 is not hindered. For this reason, since the atmosphere existing in the front of the moving direction of the substrate 2 can be efficiently blown out together with the boundary layer, a uniform purge can be performed more reliably.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing configurations of the substrate stage 10 and the skirt member 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the substrate stage 10 is provided with a skirt member 32 extending outward from the outer end portion of the substrate mounting surface (upper surface).
5A and 5B are schematic views showing the positional relationship between the substrate stage 10 and the spray nozzle 17 and the gas flow state. FIG. 5A is a view provided with the skirt member 32 of the present invention, and FIG. It is the figure which assumed the case where 32 is not provided.

  Since the above substrate stage 10 is advantageous from the viewpoint of driving that it is small and light, the substrate stage 10 is made to have a size with an area close to the substrate 2. Further, as described above, the size of the rectangular opening 18 of the spray nozzle 17 is longer (wider) than the portion irradiated with the laser light 4 so that a gas having a uniform flow rate is blown onto the portion irradiated with the laser light 4. )taking it. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the laser beam 4 is irradiated to the region including the edge of the substrate 2, a part of the rectangular opening 18 of the spray nozzle 17 is outside the substrate stage 10. The protruding portion and the protruding portion have less fluid resistance. For this reason, when a constant flow rate is flowed without controlling the gas flow rate, the gas flow rate in the protruding portion is relatively increased, so that the gas flow rate in the gas blowing region on the substrate 2 side is relatively reduced and the oxygen concentration is sufficient. Does not fall.

  Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5A, a skirt member 32 extending outward from the outer end portion of the substrate mounting surface is provided. The skirt member 32 extends to the same side as the portion of the rectangular opening 18 that protrudes outside the substrate stage 10 or to the outside of the portion.

According to the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 5A, the inert gas 19 is blown onto the skirt member 32, whereby the gas flow rate in the gas blowing region on the substrate 2 side and the portion of the gas that protrudes from the substrate stage 10. Since there is no difference in fluid resistance with respect to the flow rate, the inert gas 19 having a uniform flow rate can always be sprayed on the substrate 2, and the oxygen concentration can be sufficiently lowered at the irradiated portion of the laser beam 4. A uniform annealing state can be ensured over the entire surface irradiated with the light 4 and the variation in annealing effect can be greatly reduced.
Further, since the skirt member 32 can be formed in a plate shape with a light material, even if it is added to the substrate stage 10, there is almost no influence on the driving of the substrate stage 10.

  In order to effectively eliminate the difference in fluid resistance between the gas flow rate in the gas blowing region on the substrate 2 side and the gas flow rate at the portion protruding from the substrate stage 10, as shown in FIG. The arrangement position of the skirt member 32 is preferably set so that the upper surface of the skirt member 32 is flush with the upper surface of the substrate 2 placed on the substrate stage 10.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the skirt member 32 is preferably provided on the entire periphery of the end portion of the substrate placement surface of the substrate stage 10. With this configuration, the substrate stage 10 can be used both when the end of the spray nozzle 17 in the beam longitudinal direction protrudes from the substrate stage 10 and when the end of the spray nozzle 17 in the beam short direction protrudes from the substrate stage 10. Since the inert gas 19 ejected from the protruding portion is sprayed onto the skirt member 32, the inert gas 19 having a uniform flow rate can be sprayed onto the substrate 2 to sufficiently reduce the oxygen concentration.

As shown in FIG. 4, the substrate stage 10 is provided with a notch portion 10 a that opens on the substrate placement surface and the side surface so that the hand portion 13 of the substrate transport apparatus 12 described above can pass therethrough. The substrate stage 10 is provided with a plurality of suction holes 10b opened on the substrate mounting surface, and sucks air in the suction holes 10b to suck and fix the substrate 2.
In the configuration example shown in FIG. 4, in order to avoid mechanical interference between the substrate transport apparatus 12 and the skirt member 32, the portion of the skirt member 32 adjacent to the notch 10 a of the substrate stage 10 is the hand of the substrate transport apparatus 12. It is configured to be movable so as not to mechanically interfere with the portion 13.

  Specifically, the skirt member 32 includes a fixed portion 32a provided in a portion other than a portion adjacent to the notch portion 10a, and a movable portion 32b provided in a portion adjacent to the notch portion 10a. The movable portion 32b is configured to be movable between a closed position that closes between the fixed portions 32a adjacent to both sides, and a retracted position (a position indicated by a dotted line) that does not mechanically interfere with the hand portion 13 of the substrate transport apparatus 12. Has been. The movable part 32b is moved by a driving mechanism (not shown). The moving direction of the movable part 32b may be up and down as shown in FIG. 4, or may be sliding or swinging in the horizontal direction.

  According to the above configuration, since the portion of the skirt member 32 adjacent to the notch portion 10a of the substrate stage 10 is configured to be movable so as not to mechanically interfere with the hand portion 13 of the substrate transport apparatus 12, The substrate transfer device 12 can be applied as it is, and the substrate 2 can be transferred to and from the substrate stage 10.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable to provide the overhang | projection part 33 which opposes the lower surface of the adjacent fixing | fixed part 32a in the lower part of the movable part 32b. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the inert gas 19 from the spray nozzle 17 from leaking to the lower surface side.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another configuration example of the skirt member 32. In this configuration example, the entire skirt member 32 is configured to be movable so as not to mechanically interfere with the hand portion 13 of the substrate transport apparatus 12. Specifically, the skirt member 32 has a raised position at a height near the end of the substrate mounting surface of the substrate stage 10 and a retracted position (indicated by a dotted line) that does not mechanically interfere with the hand unit 13 of the substrate transport apparatus 12. And a movable position). In the raised position, the upper surface of the skirt member 32 is preferably flush with the upper surface of the substrate 2 placed on the substrate stage 10. The skirt member 32 is moved by a linear actuator 35 such as an air cylinder provided on the substrate stage 10 as shown in FIG.

  According to the above configuration, since the entire skirt member 32 is configured to be movable so as not to mechanically interfere with the hand portion 13 of the substrate transfer device 12, the conventional substrate transfer device 12 is applied as it is. The substrate 2 can be delivered to and from the stage 10.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. . The scope of the present invention is indicated by the description of the scope of claims, and further includes meanings equivalent to the description of the scope of claims and all modifications within the scope.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the gas supply mechanism 16 is configured to include the parallel opposing body 26, but the parallel opposing body 26 is eliminated, and the rectangular opening 18 of the spray nozzle 17 is directed toward the irradiated portion of the laser light 4. The inert gas 19 may be directly blown onto the irradiated portion of the laser beam 4 on the substrate 2.

1 is a diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a laser annealing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the gas supply mechanism in the laser annealing apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the III-III sectional view taken on the line of the spray nozzle in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of the substrate stage and skirt member in the laser annealing apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the positional relationship and gas flow state of the substrate stage and spray nozzle in the laser annealing apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the preferable structural example of the movable part of the skirt member in the laser annealing apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows another structural example of the substrate stage and skirt member in the laser annealing apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Laser annealing apparatus 2 Substrate 3 Semiconductor film 4 Laser beam 5 Laser irradiation apparatus 6 Laser light source 7 Beam shaping optical system 8 Mirror 10 Substrate stage 10a Notch 10b Suction hole 12 Substrate transport apparatus 13 Hand part 16 Gas supply mechanism 17 Spray nozzle 18 Rectangular opening 19 Inert gas 20 Nozzle body 21 Gas supply pipe 22 Distribution pipe 23 Rectifier resistor 26 Parallel opposing body 27 Opposing part 28 Side part 29 Transmission window 30 Lower surface 32 Skirt member 32a Fixed part 32b Movable part 33 Overhang part 35 Linear actuator

Claims (5)

A laser annealing apparatus that performs annealing by irradiating a laser beam focused on a linear or rectangular beam on a substrate surface while relatively moving the substrate in the short direction of the beam,
A substrate stage on which the substrate is placed;
A gas supply that has a rectangular opening extending in the longitudinal direction of the beam and has a spray nozzle that blows an inert gas from the rectangular opening and sprays it onto the substrate, and supplies the inert gas to a wider area than the irradiated portion of the laser beam. Mechanism,
A skirt member extending outward from the outer end of the substrate mounting surface of the substrate stage,
The spray nozzle is located at a position where a part of the rectangular opening comes out from the substrate stage when the region including the edge of the substrate is irradiated with laser light.
The laser annealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the skirt member extends to the same side as the portion of the rectangular opening that protrudes outside the substrate stage or to the outside of the portion.   The gas supply mechanism has a parallel opposing body having a lower surface that is close to and faces the substrate in parallel and has a flow path for an inert gas between the lower surface and the substrate and a transmission window that transmits laser light. The laser annealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rectangular opening of the injection nozzle is provided at a position spaced apart from a laser beam irradiation portion in the short direction.   The laser annealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the skirt member is provided on the entire periphery of the end portion of the substrate mounting surface of the substrate stage. The substrate stage is provided with a notch that opens on the substrate placement surface and the side surface so that a hand portion of a substrate transport apparatus that transfers the substrate to and from the substrate stage can pass therethrough,
The laser annealing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the skirt member adjacent to the notch is configured to be movable so as not to mechanically interfere with the hand. The substrate stage is provided with a notch that opens on the substrate placement surface and the side surface so that a hand portion of a substrate transport apparatus that transfers the substrate to and from the substrate stage can pass therethrough,
The laser annealing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the entire skirt member is configured to be movable so as not to mechanically interfere with the hand portion.

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