JPH11238694A - Stage device of vacuum laser annealing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain high accuracy of alignment for controlling the movement of a glass substrate in a process, wherein an amorphous silicon film deposited on the glass substrate in an atmosphere of vacuum or reduced pressure is laser- annealed, while having the glass substrate to form a polysilicon film moved. SOLUTION: A stage device converts an amorphous silicon film deposited on a glass substrate 31 into a polysilicon film in an annealing chamber 28 maintained under vacuum by annealing it with a laser light. In the stage device, most of a stage movement mechanism 43 is placed in an atmosphere outside the annealing chamber. In addition, a stage 41 in the annealing chamber and pipes 44 and 46 for holding the stage are made of materials having low thermal expansion coefficients.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stage device for a vacuum laser annealing apparatus, and more particularly, to irradiating a laser beam to an amorphous silicon film on a glass substrate in a vacuum or reduced pressure environment to anneal the amorphous silicon film to form a polysilicon film. In a vacuum laser annealing apparatus, the present invention relates to a stage device in which the accuracy of an irradiation position on a glass substrate is improved.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art TF is used as a display screen of a monitor of a consumer device such as a car navigation system or a camera-integrated VTR.
Practical use of T color liquid crystal panels has been promoted. In the liquid crystal panel, a low-temperature polysilicon-TFT is considered to be effective. The low-temperature polysilicon-TFT has the advantages of being superior in definition, being bright, and being capable of increasing the aperture ratio, compared to, for example, an amorphous silicon-TFT. According to the low-temperature polysilicon-TFT manufacturing process, usually, an amorphous silicon film is deposited on a glass substrate via a buffer layer, and then laser light is applied to the amorphous silicon film on the glass substrate kept at a low temperature of 400 ° C. Irradiation, annealing, and recrystallization are performed to form a polysilicon film. By applying LSI technology to such a polysilicon film, a semiconductor element structure, a pixel electrode, and the like are formed. The glass substrate has a square (rectangular shape) planar shape, and the upper surface of the glass substrate is irradiated with linear laser light.

In the above-mentioned laser annealing in the process of manufacturing a low-temperature polysilicon film, for example, 300
A laser irradiation device including an excimer laser that performs discontinuous oscillation at Hz is used. The glass substrate is disposed horizontally on a substrate stage in a laser annealing apparatus in the atmosphere (in a clean room). The laser light emitted from the laser light source is guided while being changed in course by an optical system including a plurality of mirrors and the like, and is passed through a laser irradiator provided outside an upper wall of the laser annealing chamber, to thereby generate a planar light. Irradiation is performed almost perpendicularly to the deposition surface of a glass substrate having a rectangular shape. In the laser irradiation device, when guiding the laser light, the beam diameter of the laser light is appropriately controlled,
Further, the uniformity of the power density (laser intensity) of the laser light is increased by a beam homogenizer provided in the middle of the beam. The laser beam finally has a line shape (for example, a width of 200
μm, 150 mm in length), and irradiate the amorphous silicon film on the glass substrate with a linear irradiation locus. Since the glass substrate has a predetermined area, in order to recrystallize the entire surface of the amorphous silicon film on the upper surface of the glass substrate using linear laser light, the laser light is swept on the amorphous silicon film. ). In order to sweep a laser beam having a linear irradiation trajectory on an amorphous silicon film, it is necessary to change the relative position between the glass substrate and the laser beam.

When the relative positional relationship between the glass substrate and the laser beam is changed, conventionally, since the laser irradiation device is large and difficult to move, a moving mechanism is provided on the stage side to move the stage and the glass substrate. I was trying to make it. In practice, when irradiating the amorphous silicon film on the glass substrate with a pulsed linear laser light that is output discontinuously and recrystallizing it to form a polysilicon film, for example, when high precision is required, overcoating occurs on the film surface. Irradiation is performed by forming a wrap portion, or irradiation is performed a plurality of times on the same portion (when the laser intensity is low). In such a method of irradiating a laser beam, it is necessary to irradiate an accurate position. Therefore, high precision is required for the operation of the stage moving mechanism, and further, the output operation control of the laser light source and the operation control of the stage moving mechanism are required. For this, precise synchronization control was required. On the other hand, when precision was not so required, the glass substrate was continuously moved. In this case, only the speed control relating to the movement of the glass substrate is required.

[0005]

Since the conventional laser annealing process is performed in an atmospheric environment, and the stage device is disposed in the air, there is no particular problem in speed control relating to the movement of the glass substrate. However, contamination problems have arisen. Although the atmospheric environment is in a clean room, the number of particles is controlled, but water, hydrocarbons, and the like are present in the air in the clean room, and these are contaminated by laser annealing. In order to solve this problem of contamination, laser annealing may be performed in a vacuum. However, when laser annealing is performed in a vacuum environment, a conventional moving mechanism used exclusively in the atmosphere is used, so that there is a problem that sufficiently high moving accuracy cannot be expected. Further, when the stage for supporting the glass substrate and its moving mechanism are arranged in the vacuum annealing chamber, the influence of the vacuum environment occurs.
In addition, the influence of heat due to laser annealing also occurs. Due to such a cause, the accuracy of the laser irradiation position on the glass substrate is reduced and becomes inaccurate, and there is a possibility that a problem that a polysilicon film having a desired accuracy cannot be obtained may occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems. An amorphous silicon film deposited on a glass substrate in a vacuum or reduced pressure environment is laser-annealed while moving the glass substrate to form a polysilicon film. It is an object of the present invention to provide a stage device of a vacuum laser annealing device that can achieve high positioning accuracy for movement control of a glass substrate in a manufacturing process.

[0007]

The stage apparatus of the vacuum laser annealing apparatus according to the present invention is configured as follows to achieve the above object.

First stage device (corresponding to claim 1)
Is used in a vacuum laser annealing apparatus that converts an amorphous silicon film deposited on a glass substrate into a polysilicon film by laser annealing in a vacuum environment annealing chamber, and moves a stage on which the glass substrate is placed. The mechanism (stage moving mechanism) is configured to be provided in an atmospheric environment outside the annealing chamber.

In the present invention, the main part of the stage moving mechanism for moving the glass substrate is disposed in the atmosphere outside the annealing chamber, so that the influence of the vacuum environment and the heat source and laser annealing provided in the annealing chamber can be reduced. As a result, the influence of the heat of the glass substrate can be avoided as much as possible, and the position control of the glass substrate by the stage moving mechanism can be made highly precise.

Second stage apparatus (corresponding to claim 2)
In the first aspect, it is preferable that the stage is made of a material having a small coefficient of thermal expansion. By making the stage with a material having a desired coefficient of thermal expansion, it is possible to reduce the degree of deformation of the stage due to the influence of heat.

Third stage device (corresponding to claim 3)
In the first aspect, the stage is supported by a plurality of support members arranged horizontally and parallel to each other in the moving mechanism, and the support members are arranged through holes formed in a container forming an annealing chamber. The hole is covered with a bellows, and the bellows is formed so as to isolate a vacuum environment and an atmospheric environment. Most of the stage movement mechanism that moves the stage was placed outside the annealing chamber,
The structural part supporting the stage is disposed over the vacuum environment and the atmospheric environment. Therefore, a vacuum environment and an atmospheric environment are separated by arranging bellows.

Fourth stage device (corresponding to claim 4)
In the third aspect, the support member is preferably made of a material having a small coefficient of thermal expansion. By making the support member supporting the stage from a material having a desired coefficient of thermal expansion, it is possible to reduce the influence of heat.

Fifth stage device (corresponding to claim 5)
In the second or fourth invention, the material is preferably quartz.

Sixth stage device (corresponding to claim 6)
According to the third aspect, the stage is movable in the axial direction of the support member by the moving mechanism, and is rotatable around the outer end of any one of the plurality of support members. . According to this configuration, the stage moving mechanism can be realized with a simple structure, and the position can be easily controlled.

Seventh stage device (corresponding to claim 7)
In the third aspect of the present invention, preferably, the inner end of the one support member is connected to a side of the stage via a handle. By coupling using the handle, the element generated by the thermal expansion is absorbed by the bending deformation of the handle.

Eighth stage device (corresponding to claim 8)
In the third aspect, preferably, any one of the plurality of support members is formed in a pipe shape, and the pipe-shaped support member is connected to an exhaust passage of a vacuum chuck mechanism provided on a stage. It is characterized by being used as. The weight of the supporting member can be reduced, and the supporting member can be used as an exhaust passage of a vacuum chuck mechanism.

Ninth stage device (corresponding to claim 9)
According to the first aspect, a gate valve is provided between the annealing chamber and the transfer chamber, and the annealing chamber and the gate valve are connected by a bellows. The bellows prevents the vibration generated by the operation of the transfer robot in the transfer chamber from being transmitted to the annealing chamber.

According to a tenth stage apparatus (corresponding to claim 10), in the first aspect, the glass substrate has a rectangular shape, and when the glass substrate is carried into the annealing chamber from the transfer chamber, the glass substrate has a short length. The side is directed in the radial direction of the transfer chamber. Thereby, a space for providing a mechanism for sweeping the laser in the annealing chamber can be secured.

[0019]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a system for manufacturing a low-temperature polysilicon TFT. Reference numeral 11 denotes a low-temperature polysilicon-TFT manufacturing apparatus, and reference numeral 12 denotes a laser irradiation apparatus that irradiates a laser beam to an amorphous silicon film on a glass substrate in an annealing chamber included in the TFT manufacturing apparatus. The laser irradiation device 12 includes a laser light source (laser oscillator) 13 that outputs an excimer laser, a light guide device (optical system) 14 that guides a laser beam output from the laser light source to an annealing chamber, and an upper wall portion of the annealing chamber. The laser irradiator 15 is fixed to the outside and irradiates a laser beam substantially perpendicularly to the film formation surface of the glass substrate. The light guide device 14 includes a plurality of mirrors that change the course of the laser light,
A beam homogenizer for equalizing the power density of the laser light is built in. A vision system 16 is provided outside the upper wall of the annealing chamber.

FIG. 2 shows the structure of the TFT manufacturing apparatus 11 viewed from above. A transfer chamber 21 equipped with a transfer robot is provided at the center, and the transfer chamber 21 is further provided.
, A loading chamber 22, an unloading chamber 23, a preheating chamber 24, a preheating chamber 25, PCVD chambers 26 and 27, and an annealing chamber 28 are provided. Each chamber such as the transfer chamber 21 and the annealing chamber 28 is provided with an exhaust mechanism, and each chamber is maintained in a vacuum state or a reduced pressure required by each exhaust mechanism. The transfer chamber 21 and each of the chambers 22 to 2 arranged therearound
8, a gate valve 29 is arranged. A glass substrate to be processed can be loaded and unloaded between the transfer chamber and each chamber. Particularly, in the annealing chamber 28, a cylindrical bellows 32 is provided between the gate valve 29 and the wall of the annealing chamber 28. A transfer robot provided in the transfer chamber 21 is used to carry out and carry in the glass substrate. FIG. 2 shows only the hand unit 30 of the transfer robot for convenience of description. The hand unit 30 supports a rectangular glass substrate 31. Rectangular glass substrate 3
The dimension of 1 is, for example, 400 × 500 mm. The preheating chamber 24 is a chamber for previously heating the glass substrate 31 to a low temperature of 400 ° C. as a condition for performing the laser annealing on the amorphous silicon film on the glass substrate 31 in the annealing chamber 28. is there. Other loading room 22, unloading room 23, spare room 25, PCV
Since the relationship between the D chambers 26 and 27 and the stage device according to the present invention is thin, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, the detailed structure of the annealing chamber 28, the related apparatus, and the stage moving mechanism will be described. Inside the annealing chamber 28, a stage 41 for fixing the glass substrate 31 on which the laser annealing process is performed is provided. The planar shape of the stage 41 is preferably rectangular. The stage 41 is not attached to the container 42 forming the annealing chamber 28, and the stage moving mechanism 43 is provided outside the container 42.
Supported by The stage 41 is in a state where there is no mounting relationship with the container 42 of the annealing chamber 28. As shown in FIG. 3, the planar shape of the stage 41 is a rectangle corresponding to the shape of the glass substrate 31, and is arranged such that the substrate arrangement surface is horizontal. The long side of the stage 41 is oriented in the X direction (the direction in which the stage 41 can move), and the short side is parallel to the r direction (perpendicular to the X direction and corresponding to the radial direction of the transfer chamber 21). Is facing. The stage 41 is supported by two support pipes 44 and 45 fixed to the left short side in FIG. 3 and one support pipe 46 fixed to the right short side. The support pipes 44 to 46 are held substantially horizontally,
And they are kept parallel to each other. Support pipe 44
To 46 are holes 42a, formed in the container 42, respectively.
It is drawn out of the container 42 through 42b and 42c. However, since the inside of the container 42, which is the annealing chamber 28, needs to be maintained in a vacuum state or a reduced pressure state, the outer ends 47, 48, and 49 of the support pipes 44 to 46, the container 42, Between bellows 50,
51 and 52 are provided. The support pipe is preferably formed in a pipe shape for weight reduction,
It is not limited to this.

The container 42 is fixed on an anti-vibration table 53 by, for example, columns (not shown). On the other hand, container 4
The stage 41 arranged in the annealing chamber 28 in 2
It is supported by a stage moving mechanism 43 provided outside the container 42 via the support pipes 44 to 46. The stage moving mechanism 43 is disposed on the vibration isolation table 53. The container 42 forming the annealing chamber 28 and the stage 41 are supported by completely different support mechanisms. A stage moving mechanism 43 for moving the stage 41 is disposed outside the annealing chamber 28 in an atmospheric pressure environment. By disposing the stage 41 and the stage moving mechanism 43 on the anti-vibration table 53 as described above, displacement of the stage 41 due to vibration can be prevented. The transfer chamber 21 and the annealing chamber 28 are connected to the gate valve 2.
If the connection is made directly at 9, the vibration caused by the operation of the transfer robot in the transfer chamber 21 and the vibration caused by the opening and closing of the gate valve 29 are directly transmitted to the annealing chamber 28. In the present embodiment, the vibration is prevented from being transmitted to the annealing chamber 28 by providing the bellows 32 as described above. A rotation angle sensor may be provided on the vibration isolation table 53 to detect the rotation angle of the stage 41.

As shown in FIG. 4, inside the container 42, an infrared lamp 54 is provided below the stage 41 as a heating unit for maintaining the temperature of the stage 41 at a predetermined temperature. A ceramics plate 55 is arranged between the infrared lamp 54 and the stage 41. The ceramic plate 55 generates heat by receiving the heat of the infrared lamp 54, has a high far-infrared emissivity, and uniformly heats the stage 41. The stage 41 is heated by far infrared rays from the ceramics plate 55. Above infrared lamp 5
The support mechanism of the ceramic plate 4 and the ceramic plate 55 is not shown, but is preferably fixed to the container 42. In order to control the temperature of the stage 41, the stage 4
1 is provided with a temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature. A radiation thermometer is used for this temperature measuring device.

Outside the upper wall of the container 42, the laser irradiator 1
5 are provided. The linear laser light emitted from the laser irradiator 15 enters the container via the window hole 42d, and is irradiated perpendicularly to the deposition surface of the glass substrate 31 arranged on the stage 41. In the present embodiment, the direction of the line of the linear laser light is perpendicular to the X direction. Further, the vision system 16 is provided on the upper side of the container 42. The vision system 16 is a device for observing the upper surface of the glass substrate 31 through a hole (viewing port) 42e, and is an optical device for detecting a marker patterned on the glass substrate 31. The marker is attached to a predetermined position on the surface of the glass substrate 31 in advance.
The marker serves as a target for determining an angle to be rotated when, for example, the stage moving mechanism 43 is operated and the stage 31 is rotated, and the angle to be rotated depends on the vision system 1.
6 detected. The vision system 16 etc.
When laser annealing is performed by sequentially irradiating the film forming surface of the glass substrate 31 with laser light while moving the glass substrate 31, the laser annealing is used for positioning the glass substrate.

The glass substrate 31 carried into the annealing chamber 28 through the gate valve 29 by the hand unit 30 of the transfer robot is placed on the stage 41. The glass substrate 31 on the stage 41 is not required to have a strict posture or orientation. For example, as shown in FIG.
One long side may be inclined with respect to the X direction.
In FIG. 4, reference numeral 56 denotes a lift pin,
When the glass substrate 31 is separated from the glass substrate 31, the glass substrate 31 is pushed up by the lift pins 56. Also stage 41
The upper glass substrate 31 is sucked and fixed by a vacuum chuck mechanism provided on the stage 41. Regarding the structure of the vacuum chuck mechanism, the following stage moving mechanism 4
This will also be described in the description of 3.

Next, the stage moving mechanism 43 will be described. The stage 41 is preferably made of quartz or the like having a coefficient of thermal expansion of 5 ppm or less. This reduces the thermal expansion of the stage 41 placed in a vacuum and increases the positioning accuracy. The stage 41 is a lower member 41a
And an upper plate 41b. A large number of holes 57 are formed in the upper plate 41b in the vertical direction, and the surface of the upper plate 41b is formed with high flatness (preferably, flatness is 0.1). Many holes 57 are holes for a vacuum chuck. One folded back vacuum chuck groove 58 is formed on the surface of the lower member 41a, for example, as shown in FIG. The large number of holes 57 formed in the upper plate 41b are arranged so as to be aligned with the grooves 58. Lower member 41
When the upper plate 41b is superimposed on the stage a to form the stage 41, the groove 58 becomes a channel for a vacuum chuck, and communicates with the large number of holes 57. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the stage 41 has four through holes 59 for lift pins.

The three support pipes 44 to 46 are preferably made of quartz or the like having a coefficient of thermal expansion of 5 ppm or less. This increases the positioning accuracy of the stage 41. Also, by adopting a pipe shape, the weight of the member supporting the stage 41 is reduced. One of the three support pipes 45 is used as a pipe for evacuating the vacuum chuck mechanism. As shown in FIG. 5, the support pipe 45 has the right end opening through the connection hole 60 to form the groove (channel).
58, the left end opening of which is formed in the metal flange 62 and the outer end 48 at an exhaust port (exhaust port).
It is connected to an exhaust mechanism (not shown) via 62a and 48a. Metal flanges 61 and 63 are provided on the outer ends of the remaining two support pipes 44 and 46, and are connected to the outer ends 47 and 49 via the metal flanges 61 and 63. Further, the left end of the support pipe 46 is provided with a handle member 6 provided on the right end face of the stage 41.
4 is connected to the stage 41. Handle member 6
Numeral 4 is for causing deflection due to heat when heating is performed and absorbing thermal expansion. When a low-temperature polysilicon film is formed by performing laser annealing on the amorphous silicon film formed on the surface of the glass substrate 31, the glass substrate 31, the stage 41, and the like are heated to a temperature of about 400 ° C. at the maximum. You.

The outer ends 47 to 49 of the three support pipes 44 to 46 form a boundary between vacuum and atmosphere, and each of the outer ends 47 to 49 has a pressure difference between vacuum and atmospheric pressure. Is applied. The force F is shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the illustration of the outer ends 47 to 49 is omitted, and the support pipes 44 to 49 are omitted.
46 are shown at the respective ends (portions of the metal flanges 61 to 63). Each area of the outer end portions 47 to 49 is the outer end portion 4
The sum of the areas 7 and 48 is set to be equal to the area of the outer area 49. Thereby, the stage 41
The force applied to is offset.

In the stage 41 having the above structure, the metal flanges 61 to 6 outside the support pipes 44 to 46 are provided.
3 have bolts 65 on the corresponding outer ends 47, 48, 49.
Fixed at. Thus, the stage 41 is supported by the stage moving mechanism 43. Stage 4 like this
In the first support structure, the sink of the stage 41 due to the bending of the support pipes 44, 45, 46 is preferably 0.05 mm or less.

The stage moving mechanism 43 will be described with reference to FIG. Each of the outer end portions 47 to 49 is rotatably attached to the shaft portions 72, 73, 74 via a bearing 71. Reference numeral 75 disposed below the container 42 forming the annealing chamber 28 is a uniaxial table.
The uniaxial table 75 can move only in the X direction. The lower end of the shaft 74 is fixed on a uniaxial table 75. Each of the shaft portions 72 and 73 is disposed on the biaxial stage 76. By the operation of the biaxial stage 76, the left shaft portions 72 and 73 can move around the shaft portion 74 as the center of rotation. Arrow 77 shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 78 indicates the direction of movement of the shaft portions 72 and 73, respectively.

The uniaxial table 75 is slidably mounted on a rail 80 formed on a surface plate 79. The uniaxial table 75 is made of ceramics specification,
A linear motor is used as a driving mechanism for performing a sliding operation. An air slide is used for the sliding operation. As an example, the stroke in the X direction: 500 m
m, straightness: 1.0 μm, repeat positioning accuracy: +/-
0.3 μm. Similarly, the biaxial table 76 is an air-sliding type device configured by using a linear motor. For example, the stroke in each direction of the biaxial is 100 mm, the straightness is 1.0 μm, and the positioning accuracy is repeated. Is +/− 0.3 μm.

In the annealing apparatus including the annealing chamber 28 and the stage moving mechanism 43, the laser annealing is performed as follows. The annealing chamber 28 where the laser annealing process is performed is evacuated to a required vacuum state. Glass substrate 3 heated to a temperature of 400 ° C. in preheating chamber 24
1 is carried into the annealing chamber 28 by the transfer robot. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the glass substrate 31 is carried into the annealing chamber 28 so that the long side of the glass substrate 31 faces in the X direction, and is placed on the stage 41. An amorphous silicon film is formed on the upper surface of the glass substrate 31. The posture of the glass substrate 31 placed on the stage 41 may be inclined, for example, as shown in FIG. When performing the laser annealing, the inclination of the glass substrate 31 is adjusted by the stage moving mechanism 43. Next, the vacuum chuck mechanism operates, suction is performed through the exhaust holes 48a and 62a, the support pipe 45, the groove 58, and the many holes 57, and the glass substrate 31 is fixed to the stage 41.

After the glass substrate 31 has been loaded into the annealing chamber 28, the gate valve 29 is closed and sealed. The inside of the annealing chamber 28 is in a desired vacuum state (including a reduced pressure state).
Is held in. After that, the marker patterned on the glass substrate 31 is observed by the vision system 16, and the stage moving mechanism 43 is operated to adjust the position of the glass substrate 31. Next, the amorphous silicon film on the glass substrate 31 is irradiated with the laser light from the laser irradiator 15, and the stage moving mechanism 43 is operated to move the laser light irradiation position, thereby converting the amorphous silicon film to polysilicon. Turn into a film. Thus, the glass substrate 31 provided with the low-temperature polysilicon film by the laser annealing is manufactured.

In the vacuum laser annealing apparatus having the above configuration, the driving mechanism for the stage 41, that is, the stage moving mechanism 43 is disposed outside the annealing chamber on the atmosphere side.
Stage 41 and three support pipes 4 for supporting the stage 41
Nos. 4 to 45 are made of a material having a small expansion coefficient. Therefore, the amount of deformation caused by heat in a vacuum environment in the annealing chamber 28 can be included in a desired range,
Positioning accuracy can be improved.

[0036]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a vacuum laser annealing apparatus for converting an amorphous silicon film deposited on a glass substrate into a polysilicon film by laser annealing in an annealing chamber in a vacuum environment. Since the stage moving mechanism is provided in the atmosphere outside the annealing chamber, the position of the glass substrate can be controlled with high positional accuracy, and the accuracy of the laser light irradiation position on the glass substrate can be increased. In addition, since the stage and the members supporting the stage are made of a material having a predetermined coefficient of thermal expansion (preferably quartz), the influence of heat generated in the annealing chamber can be eliminated, and the accuracy of the laser beam irradiation position on the glass substrate can be improved. Can be contributed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing a configuration of a system for manufacturing a low-temperature polysilicon-TFT.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the TFT manufacturing apparatus from above.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view showing an internal structure of an apparatus related to an annealing chamber.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an internal structure of an apparatus related to an annealing chamber.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of a stage and a supporting mechanism thereof.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of a main part of a stage and its support mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 TFT manufacturing apparatus 12 Laser irradiation apparatus 13 Laser light source 15 Laser irradiation apparatus 16 Bichon system 21 Transfer chamber 28 Annealing chamber 31 Glass substrate 32 Bellows 41 Stage 42 Container 44-46 Support pipe 50-52 Bellows

Claims (10)

[Claims] In a vacuum laser annealing apparatus for converting an amorphous silicon film deposited on a glass substrate into a polysilicon film by laser annealing in an annealing chamber in a vacuum environment, a moving mechanism for moving a stage on which the glass substrate is disposed Is provided in an atmospheric environment outside the annealing chamber. 2. The stage apparatus for a vacuum laser annealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said stage is made of a material having a small thermal expansion coefficient. 3. The stage is supported by a plurality of horizontal and parallel supporting members of the moving mechanism, and the supporting members are disposed through holes formed in a container forming the annealing chamber. 2. The stage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hole is covered with a bellows, and the bellows isolates the vacuum environment from the atmospheric environment. 3. 4. A stage apparatus for a vacuum laser annealing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said support member is made of a material having a small thermal expansion coefficient. 5. The stage apparatus for a vacuum laser annealing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said material is quartz. 6. The stage is moved by the moving mechanism.
The vacuum laser annealing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the vacuum laser annealing apparatus is movable in an axial direction of the support member and is rotatable around an outer end of one of the plurality of support members. Stage equipment. 7. The stage apparatus for a vacuum laser annealing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an inner end of said one support member is coupled to a side of said stage via a handle. 8. One of the plurality of supporting members is formed in a pipe shape, and the pipe-shaped supporting member is used as an exhaust passage of a vacuum chuck mechanism provided on the stage. The stage apparatus of a vacuum laser annealing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a gate valve is provided between the annealing chamber and the transfer chamber, and the annealing chamber and the gate valve are connected by a bellows.
A stage apparatus of the vacuum laser annealing apparatus described in the above. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass substrate has a rectangular shape, and a short side of the glass substrate is directed in a radial direction of the transfer chamber when the glass substrate is carried from the transfer chamber to the annealing chamber. The stage apparatus of a vacuum laser annealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: