Laser irradiation device, laser irradiation method, and program

Abstract

To provide a laser irradiation device and the like that efficiently perform control related to laser beams emitted from a plurality of laser light sources.SOLUTION: A laser irradiation device is a laser irradiation device comprising a plurality of laser light sources, and comprises a control unit that performs control related to lasers emitted from the plurality of laser light sources. The control unit acquires characteristic information on the plurality of laser light sources, and performs predetermined processing according to the acquired characteristic information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a laser irradiation device, a laser irradiation method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] A laser annealing device for forming a polycrystalline silicon thin film is known (for example, Patent Document 1). The laser annealing device described in Patent Document 1 includes a waveform shaping device that shapes the waveform of a laser light pulse, and the laser light shaped into a line by the waveform shaping device is irradiated onto an amorphous silicon film to form a polycrystalline silicon thin film. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-15545 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the laser annealing apparatus of Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the control of the laser beams emitted from the multiple laser light sources.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a laser irradiation device and the like that can efficiently control laser light emitted from a plurality of laser light sources. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The laser irradiation device according to the present embodiment is a laser irradiation device equipped with a plurality of laser light sources, and further includes a control unit that controls the lasers emitted from the plurality of laser light sources, and the control unit acquires characteristic information of each of the plurality of laser light sources and performs predetermined processing according to each of the acquired characteristic information.

[0007] The laser irradiation method according to the present embodiment causes a computer that controls lasers emitted from a plurality of laser light sources to (A) acquire characteristic information of each of the plurality of laser light sources, and (B) execute a process that performs a predetermined process in accordance with each of the acquired characteristic information.

[0008] The program according to the present embodiment causes a computer, which controls lasers emitted from multiple laser light sources, to (A) acquire characteristic information of each of the multiple laser light sources, and (B) execute a process that performs a predetermined process in accordance with each of the acquired characteristic information. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a laser irradiation device or the like that efficiently controls laser light emitted from a plurality of laser light sources. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a laser annealing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control device included in the laser annealing apparatus. [Diagram 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure performed by a control unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a laser annealing apparatus according to the second embodiment (polarization ratio). [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a polarization ratio table. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure performed by a control unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a transmittance learning model according to the third embodiment (transmittance learning model). [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure performed by a control unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a laser annealing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment (out-of-synchronization). [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a synchronization deviation value learning model. [Figure 11] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of synchronization deviation in a pulse signal. [Figure 12] 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a confusion matrix showing an actual synchronization deviation value and a synchronization deviation value obtained by a synchronization deviation value learning model; [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure performed by a control unit. [Figure 14] 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing steps of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to another embodiment (a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device). [Figure 15] 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing steps of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to another embodiment (a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device). [Figure 16] 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing steps of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to another embodiment (a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device). [Figure 17] 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing steps of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to another embodiment (a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device). [Figure 18] 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing steps of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to another embodiment (a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a laser annealing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a control device 9 included in the laser annealing apparatus 1. The laser annealing apparatus 1 (laser irradiation apparatus) is, for example, an excimer laser annealing (ELA) apparatus that forms a low temperature polysilicon (LTPS: Low Temperature Poly-Silicon) film.

[0012] The laser annealing apparatus 1 irradiates a laser beam onto a silicon film formed on a substrate 8. This allows the non-crystalline silicon film (amorphous silicon film: a-Si film) to be converted into a polycrystalline silicon film (polysilicon film: p-Si film). The substrate 8 is, for example, a transparent substrate such as a glass substrate.

[0013] As illustrated in the present embodiment, in an XYZ three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the Z direction is the vertical direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the substrate 8. The XY plane is a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate 8 on which the silicon film is formed. For example, the X direction is the longitudinal direction of the rectangular substrate 8, and the Y direction is the lateral direction of the substrate 8. When a Θ-axis stage 71 that can rotate from 0° to 90° about the Z axis is used, the X direction can be the lateral direction of the substrate 8, and the Y direction can be the longitudinal direction of the substrate 8.

[0014] The laser annealing apparatus 1 includes an annealing optical system 11, a laser irradiation chamber 7, and a control device 9. The laser irradiation chamber 7 houses a base 72 and a stage 71 arranged on the base 72. In the laser annealing apparatus 1, the silicon film 201 is irradiated with laser light while the stage 71 transports the substrate 8 in the +X direction. The laser annealing apparatus 1 further includes a biplanar phototube 62, an OED sensor 63, and an mura monitor 64 as detection units that detect information related to the emitted laser light.

[0015] The annealing optical system 11 is an optical system for generating laser light for crystallizing the amorphous silicon film formed on the substrate 8 and converting it into a polysilicon film, and irradiating the amorphous silicon film with the laser light. The annealing optical system 11 is an optical system that includes a laser light source 2 including a first laser light source 21 and a second laser light source 22, a first attenuator 31, a second attenuator 32, a combining optical system 5, a beam shaping optical system 6, an epi-illumination mirror 61, and a projection lens 65, and emits a laser light obtained by combining a plurality of laser lights.

[0016] The laser light source 2 includes a first laser light source 21 and a second laser light source 22, and is composed of a plurality of laser light sources 2. In the present embodiment, the laser light source 2 is composed of two laser light sources, the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, but is not limited to this, and the laser light source 2 may be composed of three or more laser light sources 2.

[0017] The first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 are laser generating devices that generate pulsed laser light as laser light for irradiating an amorphous silicon film (object to be processed). The generated laser light is for crystallizing the non-crystalline film on the substrate 8 to form a crystallized film, and is, for example, a gas laser light such as an excimer laser light having a central wavelength of 308 nm. Alternatively, the gas laser light is not limited to an excimer laser light, and may be another gas laser such as a Co2 laser.

[0018] In the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, a gas such as xenon is sealed in a chamber, and two resonator mirrors are arranged to face each other with the gas in between. The resonator mirror is a total reflection mirror that reflects all light, and the resonator mirror is a partial reflection mirror that transmits a part of the light. Gas light excited by the gas is repeatedly reflected between the resonator mirrors, and the amplified light is emitted from the resonator mirror as a laser light. For example, the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 repeatedly emit pulsed laser light at a period of 500 Hz to 600 Hz. The first laser light source 21 emits a laser light toward the first attenuator 31. The second laser light source 22 emits a laser light toward the second attenuator 32.

[0019] The first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 attenuate the incident laser light and adjust it to a predetermined energy density. These attenuators have a transmittance, which indicates the ratio of the emitted laser light to the incident laser light, as a characteristic, and the transmittance is configured to be variable based on a signal from the control device 9.

[0020] The first attenuator 31 is provided in the middle of the optical path from the first laser light source 21 to the combining optical system 5. The second attenuator 32 is provided in the middle of the optical path from the second laser light source 22 to the combining optical system 5. The first attenuator 31 attenuates the laser light emitted by the first laser light source 21 in accordance with the transmittance. The second attenuator 32 attenuates the laser light emitted by the second laser light source 22 in accordance with the transmittance.

[0021] The energy density (E11) emitted from the first attenuator 31 is a value (E11=E1×T1) obtained by multiplying the energy density (E1) of the laser light emitted from the first laser light source 21 by the transmittance (T1) of the first attenuator 31. The energy density (E22) emitted from the second attenuator 32 is a value (E22=E2×T2) obtained by multiplying the energy density (E2) of the laser light emitted from the second laser light source 22 by the transmittance (T2) of the second attenuator 32.

[0022] The transmittance (T1) of the first attenuator 31 and the transmittance (T2) of the second attenuator 32 are configured to be changeable (variable) by the control device 9, and the control device 9 changes these transmittances (T1, T2) so that the sum of the energy density (E11) emitted from the first attenuator 31 and the energy density (E22) emitted from the second attenuator 32 becomes constant (E1×T1+E2×T2=constant).

[0023] The combining optical system 5 has, for example, a beam splitter, and combines the laser emitted from the first laser light source 21 and the laser light emitted from the second laser light source 22. Since the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 are arranged on the optical path between the combining optical system 5 and the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, the laser emitted from the first attenuator 31 and the laser light emitted from the second attenuator 32 are incident on the combining optical system 5, and these lasers are combined by the combining optical system 5.

[0024] In a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis, the laser light from the first laser light source 21 and the laser light from the second laser light source 22 overlap. The laser light from the first laser light source 21 and the laser light from the second laser light source 22 are spatially overlapped and coaxial by the combining optical system 5 to become a combined laser light. The laser light combined by the combining optical system 5 is incident on the beam shaping optical system 6.

[0025] The laser light combined by the combining optical system 5 is incident on the beam shaping optical system 6, which shapes the incident laser light (combined laser light) to generate laser light having a beam shape suitable for irradiating a silicon film. The beam shaping optical system 6 generates a line beam that is linear along the Y direction.

[0026] The beam shaping optical system 6 splits one beam into multiple beams (multiple line beams aligned in the Z direction) using, for example, a homogenizer made up of a lens array. After splitting into multiple beams, the beams can be shaped into a line beam by combining them using a condenser lens. The beam shaping optical system 6 emits the generated (shaped) line-shaped laser light to the epi-illumination mirror 61.

[0027] The epi-mirror 61 is a rectangular reflection mirror extending in the Y direction, and reflects the laser light, which is a plurality of line beams generated by the beam shaping optical system 6. The epi-mirror 61 is, for example, a dichroic mirror, and is a partial reflection mirror that transmits a portion of the light. The epi-mirror 61 reflects the line-shaped laser light to generate reflected light, and transmits a portion of the line-shaped laser light to generate transmitted light. The epi-mirror 61 irradiates the reflected laser light onto the silicon film of the substrate 8, and emits the transmitted laser light to a pulse measuring device, such as a biplanar phototube 62.

[0028] The projection lens 65 is disposed above the substrate. The projection lens 65 has a plurality of lenses for projecting the laser light onto the substrate, i.e., onto the silicon film. The projection lens 65 focuses the laser light onto the substrate. On the substrate 8, the laser light forms a linear irradiation area along the Y direction. That is, on the substrate 8, the laser light is a line beam with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction. In addition, the silicon film is irradiated with the laser light while the substrate 8 is being transported in the +X direction. This allows the laser light to be irradiated onto a belt-shaped area whose width is the length of the irradiation area in the Y direction.

[0029] The line beam-like laser light irradiated to the epi-illumination mirror 61 has a beam shape with a widened short axis width, that is, the short axis width is somewhat widened and the shape is distorted after being emitted from the condenser lens. The laser light reflected by the epi-illumination mirror 61 passes through the projection lens 65 and is shaped into a line beam-like laser light with a short axis width of about 1 / 5.

[0030] The biplanar phototube 62 is provided at an end of the annealing optical system 11 adjacent to the beam shaping optical system 6, and detects the pulse waveform of the laser light emitted from the laser light source 2 based on the transmitted light that has passed through the epi-illumination mirror 61. The biplanar phototube 62 outputs (transmits) the detected pulse waveform to the control device 9.

[0031] The OED sensor 63 includes an optical sensor, and detects reflected light (light reflected by the substrate 8) of light emitted from a light source (another light source) separate from the laser light source 2, to obtain information about the crystal surface on the substrate 8. The OED sensor 63 outputs (transmits as a signal) the brightness (detection value) of the detected reflected light to the control device 9.

[0032] The unevenness monitor 64 includes a line camera and a line light, and captures an image of a region of interest on the substrate 8 irradiated with laser light using the line camera, detects the average luminance of the region of interest contained in the captured image, and acquires information about the scattered light of the surface shape of the substrate 8. The unevenness monitor 64 outputs (transmits as a signal) the detected average luminance (detection value) of the substrate 8 (region of interest) to the control device 9.

[0033] The first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 (multiple laser light sources 2) constituting the laser light source 2 all have the same specifications, but the emitted energy density has different values ​​(E1 ≠ E2) due to individual product differences. The first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 have characteristic information such as inter-pulse energy stability (δ / mean) or pointing stability (P). In the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, individual differences occur in characteristics such as inter-pulse energy stability (energy stability: δ / mean) or pointing stability (pointing: P) as industrial products.

[0034] Pulse-to-pulse energy stability (δ / mean) is defined as a product specification to be within 0.30% (≦0.30%). The value (δ) indicating the pulse-to-pulse energy stability corresponds to a value indicating the degree of variation (standard deviation), and the smaller this value is, the higher the stability (smaller the variation) and the better the characteristics are. The larger this value (δ) is, the lower the stability (larger the variation) and the worse the characteristics are.

[0035] Pointing stability (P) is defined as a product specification to be within ±0.15 mrad, for example. The value (P) indicating pointing stability corresponds to a value indicating the degree of variation, and the smaller the absolute value of this value (closer to 0), the higher the stability (lower the variation) and the better the characteristics. The larger this value (P), the lower the stability (larger the variation) and the worse the characteristics.

[0036] In this way, the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 (multiple laser light sources 2) having the same specifications may have individual differences, i.e., variations in characteristics (differences in characteristic information), as industrial products. Although details will be described later, the control device 9 makes the transmittance of the attenuator connected to the laser light source 2 having good characteristics (less variation) greater than the transmittance of the attenuator connected to the other laser light source 2, based on the characteristic information of each of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22. This allows the laser light emitted from the laser light source 2 having good characteristics (less variation) to be preferentially used, and the laser light obtained by combining the laser lights from the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 is irradiated onto the substrate 8, thereby improving the processing quality.

[0037] The control device 9 is an information processing device such as a personal computer or a server device that performs overall or integrated control or management of the laser annealing apparatus 1. The control device 9 includes a control unit 91, a storage unit 92, a communication unit 93, and an input / output I / F 94, and is communicatively connected to a control device (another control device) that controls the laser light source 2 or each optical system in the annealing optical system 11 via the communication unit 93 or the input / output I / F 94. The control device 9 is communicatively connected to various measuring devices such as a pulse measuring instrument and a photodetector included in the laser annealing apparatus 1, and performs various controls on the laser light source 2 or the annealing optical system 11 based on measurement data output from these various measuring devices.

[0038] The control unit 91 has one or more central processing units (CPUs), micro-processing units (MPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), or other calculation processing devices equipped with timing functions, and performs various information processing and control processing for each optical system included in the laser light source 2 or the annealing optical system 11 by reading and executing a program P (program product) stored in the memory unit 92.

[0039] The storage unit 92 includes a volatile storage area such as a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or a flash memory, and a non-volatile storage area such as an EEPROM or a hard disk. The storage unit 92 stores in advance a program P (program product) and data to be referenced during processing. The program P stored in the storage unit 92 may be a program P (program product) read from a recording medium 920 readable by the control unit 91. Alternatively, the program P (program product) may be downloaded from an external computer (not shown) connected to a communication network (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 92.

[0040] The communication unit 93 is, for example, a communication module or communication interface conforming to the Ethernet (registered trademark) standard, and an Ethernet cable is connected to the communication unit 93. The communication unit 93 is not limited to being wired, such as an Ethernet cable, and may be, for example, a communication interface compatible with wireless communication, such as a short-range wireless communication module, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a wide-area wireless communication module, such as 4G or 5G.

[0041] The input / output I / F 94 is a communication interface that complies with a communication standard such as RS232C or USB, etc. To the input / output I / F 94, an input device such as a keyboard, or a display device 941 such as a liquid crystal display is connected.

[0042] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure by the control unit 91. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 included in the laser annealing apparatus 1 receives an operation by an operator using, for example, a keyboard connected to an input / output, and performs the following processing based on the received operation.

[0043] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 acquires characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 (S101). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 acquires the characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 from a measuring device such as a pulse measuring instrument via the communication unit 93 or the input / output I / F 94. Alternatively, the control unit 91 of the control device 9 may acquire the characteristic information from a control device of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22. The characteristic information includes, for example, inter-pulse energy stability (energy stability: δ / mean), pointing stability (pointing: P), or both of these. These measuring devices or control devices function as characteristic information detection units for detecting the characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22.

[0044] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 may, for example, drive the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 separately in a preparation process for annealing processing on the substrate 8, and acquire characteristic information of each of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 based on the laser light emitted from the first laser light source 21 and the laser light emitted from the second laser light source 22, respectively.

[0045] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 derives the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 based on the acquired characteristic information (S102). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 identifies a laser light source 2 with good characteristics based on the inter-pulse energy stability or pointing stability of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 acquired as the characteristic information. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 derives the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 so that the transmittance of the attenuator connected to the laser light source 2 with the good characteristic is greater than the transmittance of the attenuator connected to the other laser light source 2.

[0046] As described above, since the characteristic information such as the inter-pulse energy stability or the pointing stability is defined by a value indicating the degree of variation (standard deviation), the smaller the value of the characteristic information (closer to 0), the better the characteristics of the laser light source 2. For example, when the inter-pulse energy stability (energy stability: δ1) of the first laser light source 21 is greater than the inter-pulse energy stability (energy stability: δ2) of the second laser light source 22 (δ1>δ2), the characteristics of the second laser light source 22 are better than those of the first laser light source 21, and the transmittance (T1) of the first attenuator 31 is a smaller value than the transmittance (T2) of the first attenuator 31 (T1<T2).

[0047] When the pointing stability (P1) of the first laser light source 21 is smaller than the pointing stability (P2) of the second laser light source 22 (P1<P2), the characteristics of the first laser light source 21 are better than those of the second laser light source 22, and the transmittance (T1) of the first attenuator 31 is a larger value than the transmittance (T2) of the first attenuator 31 (T1>T2).

[0048] For example, when identifying a laser light source 2 with good characteristics based on a plurality of characteristic information such as the inter-pulse energy stability (δ) and the pointing stability (P), the value obtained by adding up the values of these characteristic information (δ+P) may be used to compare the value of the characteristic information (δ1+P1) of the first laser light source 21 with the value of the characteristic information (δ2+P2) of the second laser light source 22.

[0049] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 identifies a laser light source 2 with good characteristics based on the respective characteristic information of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32, and determines the magnitude relationship of the transmittances of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 further changes these transmittances (T1, T2) so that the total value of the energy density emitted from the first attenuator 31 and the energy density (E22) emitted from the second attenuator 32 is constant (E1×T1+E2×T2=constant).

[0050] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 may derive the transmittance (T1, T2) using a function that calculates the transmittance (T1, T2) using the characteristic information (δ1, P1, δ2, P2) of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 as input factors. Alternatively, a lookup table that defines (specifies) the transmittance (T1, T2) according to a combination pattern of the characteristic information (δ1, P1, δ2, P2) of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 is stored in the storage unit 92 of the control device 9, and the control unit 91 of the control device 9 may derive the transmittance by referring to the lookup table.

[0051] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 generates a control signal based on the derived transmittance (S103). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 outputs the generated control signals to the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 (S104). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 generates a control signal for the first attenuator 31 and a control signal for the second attenuator 32 based on the transmittances (T1, T2) of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32, respectively.

[0052] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 outputs the generated control signal for the first attenuator 31 to the first attenuator 31, and outputs the generated control signal for the second attenuator 32 to the second attenuator 32. When outputting these control signals, the control unit 91 of the control device 9 may output the control signals to the control devices of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 via a communication unit 93.

[0053] The first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 acquire (receive) a control signal output (transmitted) from the control device 9, and change the transmittance according to the acquired control signal. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 may perform a loop process to execute the process from S101 again after executing the process of S104. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 is not limited to performing a series of processes according to the flow in a preparation process, but may perform the series of processes in parallel with the processing of the substrate 8, and dynamically change the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 during the processing of the substrate 8 (during the production process).

[0054] According to this embodiment, the control device 9 of the laser annealing device 1 performs a predetermined process on the laser emitted from the laser light source 2 according to the characteristic information of each of the laser light sources 2. As a result, in the laser annealing device 1 equipped with a plurality of laser light sources 2, even if there are individual product differences in the plurality of laser light sources 2, control can be performed that absorbs the individual differences (variations). When the lasers emitted from the plurality of laser light sources 2 are combined, the stability of the combined laser can be improved, and the occurrence of uneven irradiation of the substrate 8, etc., when the combined laser is irradiated can be suppressed.

[0055] According to this embodiment, the control device 9 of the laser annealing device 1 (laser irradiation device) controls the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 based on the transmittance derived based on the characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, and therefore can appropriately control these attenuators.

[0056] According to this embodiment, the control device 9 of the laser annealing apparatus 1 sets the transmittance of the attenuator of the laser light source 2 having a large value (δ) related to the inter-pulse energy stability (large variation, low energy stability) in the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 to be lower than the transmittance of the attenuator of the other laser light source 2. This makes it possible to increase the transmittance for the laser light source 2 having a small value (δ) related to the inter-pulse energy stability (small variation, high energy stability), and the laser light from the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 can be combined by preferentially using the laser light source 2 having the high energy stability, thereby improving the processing quality of the substrate 8, etc.

[0057] According to this embodiment, the control device 9 of the laser annealing device 1 makes the transmittance of the attenuator of the laser light source 2 having a large value (P) related to pointing stability (large variation, low pointing stability) in the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 lower than the transmittance of the attenuator of the other laser light source 2. This makes it possible to increase the transmittance for the laser light source 2 having a small value (P) related to pointing stability (small variation, high pointing stability), and the laser light from the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 can be combined by preferentially using the laser light source 2 having the high pointing stability, thereby improving the processing quality of the substrate 8.

[0058] According to this embodiment, the control device 9 of the laser annealing apparatus 1 derives the transmittances of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 so that the composite energy density obtained by adding the value obtained by multiplying the energy density of the first laser light source 21 by the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the value obtained by multiplying the energy density of the second laser light source 22 by the transmittance of the second attenuator 32 is constant. As a result, when the transmittances of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 are dynamically changed while the laser annealing apparatus 1 is in operation, the energy density (composite energy density) of the laser irradiated to the substrate 8 can be kept constant, and the occurrence of irradiation unevenness can be suppressed.

[0059] (Embodiment 2) 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the laser annealing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment 2 (polarization ratio). Like the laser annealing apparatus 1 of the embodiment 1, the laser annealing apparatus 1 of the embodiment 2 includes an annealing optical system 11 including a projection lens 65 and the like, a laser irradiation chamber 7, and a control device 9, and further includes a first polarization ratio control unit 41 and a second polarization ratio control unit 42.

[0060] The first polarization ratio control unit 41 is disposed on the output side of the first attenuator 31, and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 is disposed on the output side of the second attenuator 32. The first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 are configured with, for example, a half-wave plate (λ / 2 plate) and a polarizing beam splitter, and change the polarization ratio between the P polarization and the S polarization of the incident laser light.

[0061] The first polarization ratio control unit 41 changes the polarization ratio of the laser light output from the first attenuator 31. The second polarization ratio control unit 42 changes the polarization ratio of the laser light output from the second attenuator 32. The first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 are configured to change (variably) their respective polarization ratios based on a control signal output from the control device 9.

[0062] When the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 is changed, the polarization ratios of the laser beams output from the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 are changed according to the transmittance. In response to this, the control device 9 changes the corresponding polarization ratios according to the changed transmittance, thereby controlling the polarization ratios of the laser beams output from the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 to be constant.

[0063] When changing the transmittance of the first attenuator 31, the control device 9 changes the polarization ratio of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and controls so that the polarization ratio of the laser light output from the first polarization ratio control unit 41 is constant. When changing the transmittance of the second attenuator 32, the control device 9 changes the polarization ratio of the second polarization ratio control unit 42 and controls so that the polarization ratio of the laser light output from the second polarization ratio control unit 42 is constant.

[0064] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a polarization ratio table. In the polarization ratio table, the horizontal axis represents the transmittance and the vertical axis represents the polarization ratio, and the polarization ratios corresponding to each transmittance are defined. When changing the polarization ratios of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42, the control device 9 may refer to information (polarization ratio table) stored in the storage unit 92 of the control device 9 in table format, for example, and specify (derive) the polarization ratio according to the transmittance.

[0065] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure by the control unit 91. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 acquires characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 (S201). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 derives the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 based on the acquired characteristic information (S202). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 performs the processes of S201 and S202 similarly to S101 and S102 in the first embodiment.

[0066] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 derives the polarization ratios of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 based on the transmittance (S203). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 derives the polarization ratios of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 corresponding to the derived transmittances (T1, T2) of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42, for example, by referring to a polarization ratio table stored in the storage unit 92.

[0067] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 generates a control signal based on the derived transmittance and polarization ratio (S204). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 outputs the generated control signals to the first attenuator 31, the second attenuator 32, the first polarization ratio control unit 41, and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 (S205). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 generates and outputs control signals to the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, similar to S103 and S104 of the first embodiment.

[0068] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 generates a control signal for the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and a control signal for the second polarization ratio control unit 42 based on the derived polarization ratios. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 outputs the generated control signal for the first polarization ratio control unit 41 to the first polarization ratio control unit 41, and outputs the control signal for the second polarization ratio control unit 42 to the second polarization ratio control unit 42. When outputting these control signals, the control unit 91 of the control device 9 may output the control signals to the control devices of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 via a communication unit 93.

[0069] The first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 acquire (receive) a control signal output (transmitted) from the control device 9, and change their respective transmittances in accordance with the acquired control signal. The first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 acquire (receive) a control signal output (transmitted) from the control device 9, and change their respective polarization ratios in accordance with the acquired control signal. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 may perform a loop process to execute the process from S201 again after executing the process of S205, as in the first embodiment.

[0070] According to this embodiment, the control device 9 of the laser annealing apparatus 1 changes the polarization ratios in the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 based on the derived transmittance so that the polarization ratios of the lasers outputted from the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 are constant. The control unit 91 of the laser annealing apparatus 1 may specify (derive) the polarization ratio according to the transmittance by referring to a polarization ratio table stored in the storage unit 92, for example.

[0071] The change in the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 changes the polarization ratio of the laser beams emitted from the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32. In response to this, the polarization ratios of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 are changed so that the polarization ratio is constant, thereby keeping the polarization ratio of the combined laser beam constant and suppressing uneven irradiation.

[0072] (Embodiment 3) 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a transmittance learning model 921 according to the third embodiment (transmittance learning model 921). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 uses training data to train a neural network, and generates a transmittance learning model 921 that outputs the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 when characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 is input. Alternatively, the transmittance learning model 921 may output the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 and the polarization ratio of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 when characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, the luminance (detection value) from the OED sensor 63, and the average luminance (detection value) from the unevenness monitor 64 are input.

[0073] The training data is composed of question data including characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, and answer data including the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32, and is stored in the storage unit 92 of the control device 9. Alternatively, the question data may include characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, the luminance (detected value) from the OED sensor 63, and the average luminance (detected value) from the unevenness monitor 64. The answer data may include the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32, and the polarization ratios of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42. The original data of the training data can be generated, for example, by aggregating the operation record data of a plurality of laser annealing devices 1.

[0074] The neural network (transmittance learning model 921) trained using the training data is expected to be used as a program module that is part of artificial intelligence software. The transmittance learning model 921 is used in the control device 9, and is executed by the control device 9 having such a computing capability to configure a neural network system.

[0075] The transmittance learning model 921 is configured with a DNN (Deep Neural Network), and has an input layer that receives input of characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, an intermediate layer that extracts features of the characteristic information, and an output layer that outputs transmittance. Alternatively, the input layer may receive input of the characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, the luminance (detected value) from the OED sensor 63, and the average luminance (detected value) from the unevenness monitor 64. The intermediate layer may extract features of the characteristic information and the detected values, and the output layer may output the respective transmittances and polarization ratios.

[0076] The input layer has a plurality of neurons that receive inputs such as characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, and passes the input values ​​to the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer is defined using an activation function such as a ReLu function or a sigmoid function, has a plurality of neurons that extract features of each input value, and passes the extracted features to the output layer. Parameters such as weighting coefficients and bias values ​​of the activation function are optimized using an error backpropagation method. The output layer may be, for example, a fully connected layer, and may output the transmittances of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 based on the features output from the intermediate layer, and may further output the polarization ratios of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42.

[0077] In this embodiment, the transmittance learning model 921 is a DNN, but is not limited to this, and may be a learning model constructed with other learning algorithms, such as a neural network other than a DNN, a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), a Long-short term model (LSTM), a CNN, a Support Vector Machine (SVM), a Bayesian network, a linear regression, a regression tree, a multiple regression, a random forest, an ensemble, etc.

[0078] Although the control device 9 included in the laser annealing apparatus 1 generates the transmittance learning model 921, the present invention is not limited to this, and the transmittance learning model 921 may be learned and generated by an external server device, such as a cloud server, other than the control device 9. Although the transmittance learning model 921 is used in the control device 9, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control device 9 may communicate with a cloud server, such as connected to the Internet, via the communication unit 93, and acquire the transmittance output by the transmittance learning model 921 implemented in the cloud server.

[0079] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure by the control unit 91. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 acquires characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 (S301). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 performs the process of S301 similarly to S101 in the first embodiment.

[0080] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 inputs the acquired characteristic information to the transmittance learning model 921, thereby deriving the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 (S302). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 inputs characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 to the transmittance learning model 921. The transmittance learning model 921 outputs the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 according to the input characteristic information. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 derives the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 by acquiring the transmittance output by the transmittance learning model 921.

[0081] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 generates a control signal based on the derived transmittance (S303). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 outputs the generated control signals to the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 (S304). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 performs the processes of S303 and S304 similar to S103 and S104 in the first embodiment.

[0082] In the flowchart of this embodiment, the control unit 91 of the control device 9 inputs the acquired characteristic information to the transmittance learning model 921 and derives the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32, but is not limited to this. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 may input the acquired characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, the detection value from the OED sensor 63, and the detection value from the unevenness monitor 64 to the transmittance learning model 921 and derive the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 and the polarization ratio of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42.

[0083] In this case, the control unit 91 of the control device 9 generates a control signal for the transmittance based on the derived transmittance, and generates a control signal for the polarization ratio based on the derived polarization ratio. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 outputs the control signals for the transmittance to the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32, and outputs the control signals for the polarization ratio to the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42, respectively.

[0084] According to this embodiment, the control device 9 of the laser annealing device 1 uses the transmittance learning model 921 that outputs the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the transmittance of the second attenuator 32 when the characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the characteristic information of the second laser light source 22 are input, so that the transmittance of each of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 can be efficiently derived. Alternatively, by using the transmittance learning model 921, the transmittance of the first attenuator 31 and the second attenuator 32 and the polarization ratio of the first polarization ratio control unit 41 and the second polarization ratio control unit 42 can be efficiently derived based on the characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, the detection value from the OED sensor 63, and the detection value from the unevenness monitor 64.

[0085] (Embodiment 4) 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a laser annealing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 4 (out of synchronization). The laser annealing apparatus 1 of embodiment 4 includes an annealing optical system 11, a laser irradiation chamber 7, and a control device 9, similar to the laser annealing apparatus 1 of embodiment 1, and also includes an X-axis drive system 73 and a Y-axis drive system 74 for driving a stage 71.

[0086] The laser annealing apparatus 1 of embodiment 4 is equipped with a biplanar phototube 62 for detecting the pulse waveform, and the biplanar phototube 62 is provided at the end of the annealing optical system 11 and detects the pulse waveform of each of the laser lights emitted from the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 based on the transmitted light that has passed through, for example, an epi-mirror 61.

[0087] The control device 9 is communicatively connected to the biplanar phototube 62 via the communication unit 93 or the input / output I / F 94, and acquires the pulse waveform of the laser light from the first laser light source 21 and the pulse waveform of the laser light from the second laser light source 22 from the biplanar phototube 62. The pulse waveforms of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 correspond to characteristic information, and the biplanar phototube 62 that detects the pulse waveforms functions as a characteristic information detection unit for detecting the characteristic information of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22.

[0088] The control device 9 detects a synchronization shift between the laser light emitted from the first laser light source 21 and the laser light emitted from the second laser light source 22, based on the acquired pulse waveforms of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22. The control device 9 generates a notification signal indicating that a tolerable synchronization shift value (tolerance threshold) has been exceeded according to the magnitude of the detected synchronization shift (synchronization shift value), and outputs the notification signal to, for example, a display device 941. Alternatively, the control device 9 may output a stop signal to stop operation of the laser annealing device 1 when the detected synchronization shift value exceeds the tolerable threshold (equal to or greater than the tolerance threshold).

[0089] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the synchronization deviation value learning model 922. The control device 9 uses the synchronization deviation value learning model 922 stored in the storage unit 92 of the control device 9 when detecting a synchronization deviation. By using the synchronization deviation value learning model 922, it is possible to derive a synchronization deviation value between the laser light emitted from the first laser light source 21 and the laser light emitted from the second laser light source 22. The synchronization deviation value may be indicated in time units of, for example, 1 ns. In defining the synchronization deviation value in this way, a pulse waveform with a synchronization deviation value of 0 ns indicates that no synchronization deviation occurs.

[0090] 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of synchronization deviation in pulse signals. In the illustration of this embodiment, the pulse waveforms of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 with synchronization deviation values ​​of 1 ns (upper left), 2 ns (upper right), 3 ns (lower left), and 4 ns (lower right) are shown in graph form. In the graph, the vertical axis indicates the intensity of the laser light, and the horizontal axis indicates the time.

[0091] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 trains the neural network using the training data, and generates a synchronization deviation value learning model 922 that outputs a synchronization deviation value between the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 when the pulse waveform of the first laser light source 21 and the pulse waveform of the second laser light source 22 are input. The training data is composed of question data including the pulse waveform of the first laser light source 21 and the pulse waveform of the second laser light source 22, and answer data including a synchronization deviation value, and is stored in the storage unit 92 of the control device 9. The original data of the training data can be generated, for example, by aggregating operation record data of a plurality of laser annealing devices 1.

[0092] With regard to the combinations of these individual question data and answer data, the training data may include combinations in which the synchronization deviation value is 0 ns, i.e., a pulse waveform in which no synchronization deviation occurs, and a pulse waveform in which the synchronization deviation value increases stepwise, for example, from 1 ns to 5 ns. That is, the synchronization deviation value may be classified into 11 levels, for example, from -5 ns to 5 ns, and training data may be generated using data on about 100 pulse waveforms for each synchronization deviation value (for each class). When learning, the pulse waveform data (waveform data) may be normalized to match the height of the waveform according to the set conditions.

[0093] In this way, the training data includes data based on the pulse waveforms of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 in which no synchronization deviation occurs, and data based on the pulse waveforms of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 in which a synchronization deviation occurs. In the data in which a synchronization deviation occurs, the synchronization deviation value may be made to differ stepwise in units of 1 ns, for example, and classified according to the synchronization deviation value. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 collects pulse waveforms with a synchronization deviation and pulse waveforms without synchronization to generate training data, and generates a synchronization deviation value learning model 922 by training a neural network using the generated training data.

[0094] The synchronization deviation value learning model 922 is configured, for example, by a DNN similar to the transmittance learning model 921 of embodiment 1, and has an input layer that accepts input of the pulse waveforms of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, an intermediate layer that extracts features of the pulse waveforms, and an output layer that outputs the synchronization deviation value.

[0095] The input layer has a plurality of neurons that receive input of the pulse waveforms of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, and passes the input values ​​to the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer is defined using an activation function such as a ReLu function or a sigmoid function, has a plurality of neurons that extract features of each input value, and passes the extracted features to the output layer. Parameters such as the weighting coefficient and bias value of the activation function are optimized using the backpropagation method. The output layer is, for example, composed of a fully connected layer, and outputs a synchronization deviation value based on the features output from the intermediate layer.

[0096] In this embodiment, the synchronization deviation value learning model 922 is a DNN, but is not limited thereto, and may be a learning model constructed with other learning algorithms, such as a neural network other than DNN, similar to the transmittance learning model 921 of embodiment 1. Similarly to the transmittance learning model 921 of embodiment 1, the synchronization deviation value learning model 922 may be learned and generated by an external server device, such as a cloud server, other than the control device 9. Similarly to embodiment 1, the control device 9 may communicate with a cloud server, for example, connected to the Internet, via the communication unit 93, and acquire a synchronization deviation value output by the synchronization deviation value learning model 922 implemented in the cloud server.

[0097] In generating (learning) the synchronization deviation value learning model 922, a two-unit configuration is used consisting of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22. However, training data may be generated using the pulse waveforms of the laser light emitted from three or more laser light sources 2, and the synchronization deviation value learning model 922 may be trained.

[0098] 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a confusion matrix of actual synchronization deviation values ​​and synchronization deviation values ​​output by the synchronization deviation value learning model 922. The confusion matrix illustrated in this embodiment shows an example of a comparison between actual synchronization deviation values ​​and synchronization deviation values ​​output by the synchronization deviation value learning model 922.

[0099] For example, the synchronization deviation value is ±5 ns, and 30 data sets (pulse waveform of the first laser light source 21, pulse waveform of the second laser light source 22, synchronization deviation value) are prepared for the synchronization deviation value divided into 11 levels (11 classes), and the total number of data sets is 330 (30×11). For example, when the synchronization deviation value is −5 ns, −1 ns, and 5 ns, the synchronization deviation value output by the synchronization deviation value learning model 922 is the same as the actual synchronization deviation value, that is, the accuracy rate is 100%. Also, for other synchronization deviation values, the accuracy rate is 90% or more, which shows that the synchronization deviation value learning model 922 can output (estimate) the synchronization deviation value with relatively high accuracy.

[0100] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure by the control unit 91. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 acquires the pulse waveforms of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 (S401). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 acquires the pulse waveform of the laser light from the first laser light source 21 and the pulse waveform of the laser light from the second laser light source 22 from the biplanar phototube 62.

[0101] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 derives a synchronization deviation value by inputting the acquired pulse waveform to the synchronization deviation value learning model 922 (S402). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 inputs the pulse waveforms of the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22 to the synchronization deviation value learning model 922. The synchronization deviation value learning model 922 outputs a synchronization deviation value between these pulse waveforms based on the input pulse waveforms. The control unit 91 of the control device 9 derives the synchronization deviation value by acquiring the synchronization deviation value output by the synchronization deviation value learning model 922. The derived synchronization deviation value may be classified into classes divided every 1 ns, for example.

[0102] The control unit 91 of the control device 9 judges whether the derived synchronization deviation value is equal to or greater than the allowable threshold value (S403). The control unit 91 of the control device 9 judges whether the derived synchronization deviation value is equal to or greater than the allowable threshold value, for example, by referring to the allowable threshold value stored in advance in the storage unit 92. The allowable threshold value indicates an allowable synchronization deviation value in the processing of the substrate 8 by the laser annealing device 1, and is a synchronization deviation value at which uneven irradiation caused by synchronization deviation is allowable in terms of processing quality. The allowable threshold value is not limited to being set as a single value, and may be defined by a plurality of values ​​that differ in stages.

[0103] If the synchronization deviation value is not equal to or greater than the allowable threshold, that is, is less than the allowable threshold (S403: NO), the control unit 91 of the control device 9 performs the loop process to execute the process of S301 again.

[0104] When the synchronization deviation value is equal to or greater than the allowable threshold (S403: YES), the control unit 91 of the control device 9 outputs a notification signal when the synchronization deviation value is equal to or greater than the allowable threshold (S404). When the synchronization deviation value is equal to or greater than the allowable threshold, the control unit 91 of the control device 9 outputs a notification signal to, for example, the display device 941. This makes it possible to efficiently notify the administrator of the laser annealing device 1 that a synchronization deviation that is equal to or greater than the allowable threshold has occurred.

[0105] According to this embodiment, the control device 9 of the laser annealing apparatus 1 can efficiently derive a synchronization deviation value in the pulse waveform of the laser light emitted from each of the multiple laser light sources 2 by using the synchronization deviation value learning model 922 that outputs a synchronization deviation value in a plurality of pulse waveforms when a plurality of pulse waveforms are input. As a result, by using the laser annealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, it is possible to efficiently detect a short synchronization deviation of the laser light, as compared with a method based on a feature amount such as an area value of the pulse waveform.

[0106] By outputting a notification signal when the derived synchronization deviation value becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined allowable threshold value, it is possible to notify an operator of the laser annealing apparatus 1 that the state of synchronization deviation of the pulse waveforms generated among the multiple laser light sources 2 is such that it is difficult to continue the operation of the laser annealing apparatus 1, i.e., the production of semiconductor devices. By providing such a notification, it is possible to prompt an appropriate response to the synchronization deviation and an early recovery, and it is possible to efficiently suppress the occurrence of uneven irradiation caused by the synchronization deviation.

[0107] (Other embodiments) 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 are cross-sectional views showing steps in a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to another embodiment (method for manufacturing a semiconductor device). As another embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using the laser annealing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment will be described. In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device described below, in the step of crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor film, an annealing process is performed using the laser annealing apparatus 1 according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments.

[0108] The semiconductor device is a semiconductor device including a TFT (Thin Film Transistor), and in this case, the amorphous silicon film 84 can be crystallized by irradiating it with laser light to form a polysilicon film 85. The polysilicon film 85 is used as a semiconductor layer having a source region, a channel region, and a drain region of the TFT.

[0109] The laser annealing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment described above is suitable for manufacturing a TFT array substrate. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having a TFT will now be described.

[0110] First, as shown in FIG. 14, a gate electrode 82 is formed on a glass substrate 81 (substrate 8). For the gate electrode 82, for example, a metal thin film containing aluminum or the like can be used. Next, as shown in FIG. 15, a gate insulating film 83 is formed on the gate electrode 82. The gate insulating film 83 is formed so as to cover the gate electrode 82. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 16, an amorphous silicon film 84 is formed on the gate insulating film 83. The amorphous silicon film 84 is disposed so as to overlap the gate electrode 82 with the gate insulating film 83 interposed therebetween.

[0111] The gate insulating film 83 is a silicon nitride film (SiNx), a silicon oxide film (SiO2 film), or a laminated film thereof. Specifically, the gate insulating film 83 and the amorphous silicon film 84 are continuously formed by a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method. The glass substrate 81 with the amorphous silicon film 84 becomes a semiconductor film in the laser annealing apparatus 1 (laser irradiation apparatus).

[0112] 17, the amorphous silicon film 84 is irradiated with laser light L3 using the laser annealing apparatus 1 described above to crystallize the amorphous silicon film 84, thereby forming a polysilicon film 85. As a result, a polysilicon film 85 in which silicon is crystallized is formed on the gate insulating film 83. In carrying out this process, characteristic information of each of the laser light sources 2, which are configured as a plurality of laser light sources such as the first laser light source 21 and the second laser light source 22, is acquired, and the predetermined processing disclosed in the first to fourth embodiments is carried out according to each acquired characteristic information, thereby making it possible to suppress the occurrence of unevenness in the polysilicon film 85.

[0113] 18, an interlayer insulating film 86, a source electrode 87a, and a drain electrode 87b are formed on the polysilicon film 85. The interlayer insulating film 86, the source electrode 87a, and the drain electrode 87b can be formed by using a general photolithography method or a film formation method. The manufacturing process thereafter differs depending on the device to be finally manufactured, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0114] By using the above-described semiconductor device manufacturing method, a semiconductor device having a TFT including a polycrystalline semiconductor film can be manufactured. Such a semiconductor device is suitable for controlling a high-definition display such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. By suppressing unevenness in the polysilicon film 85 as described above, a display device with excellent display characteristics can be manufactured with high productivity.

[0115] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in is not limited to the example of forming the polysilicon film 85 by irradiating the amorphous silicon film 84 with a laser beam, but a microcrystalline silicon film may be formed by irradiating the amorphous silicon film 84 with a laser beam. Also, a crystallized film may be formed by irradiating an amorphous film other than a silicon film with a laser beam.

[0116] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as limiting. The technical features described in each embodiment can be combined with each other, and the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the scope of the claims and the scope equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1. Laser annealing device (laser irradiation device) 11 Annealing optical system 2 Laser light source 21 First laser light source 22 Second laser light source 31 1st attenuator 32 2nd attenuator 41 First polarization ratio control unit 42 Second polarization ratio control unit 5 Synthetic optical system 6 Beam shaping optics 61 Reflection mirror 62 Biplanar phototube 63 OED sensor 64 Unevenness Monitor 65 Projection Lens 7 Laser irradiation chamber Stage 71 72 Base 73 X-axis drive system 74 Y-axis drive system 8 Substrate 9 Control device 91 Control Unit 92 Memory section 920 Recording media P Program (Program Product) 921 Transmittance Learning Model 922 Synchronization Error Value Learning Model 93 Communications Department 94 Input / Output Interface 941 Display device 81 Glass Substrate 82 Gate electrode 83 Gate insulating film 84 Amorphous silicon film 85 Polysilicon Film 86 Interlayer insulating film 87a Source electrode 87b Drain electrode

Claims

1. A laser irradiation device having a plurality of laser light sources, a control unit that controls lasers emitted from the plurality of laser light sources, The control unit is Acquire characteristic information of each of the plurality of laser light sources; Performing a predetermined process according to each of the acquired characteristic information, the plurality of laser light sources include a first laser light source and a second laser light source, the laser irradiation device includes a first attenuator that determines a transmittance of the laser light emitted from the first laser light source, and a second attenuator that determines a transmittance of the laser light emitted from the second laser light source, The control unit is Deriving transmittances of the first attenuator and the second attenuator based on characteristic information of the first laser light source and the second laser light source, The transmittance of the first attenuator and the second attenuator is controlled based on the derived transmittance. Laser irradiation device.

2. The characteristic information includes information regarding energy stability of the first laser light source and the second laser light source, The control unit sets the transmittance of an attenuator of a laser light source having better energy stability out of the first laser light source and the second laser light source to be higher than the transmittance of an attenuator of the other laser light source.

2. The laser irradiation device according to claim 1.

3. The characteristic information includes information regarding pointing stability of the first laser light source and the second laser light source, The control unit sets the transmittance of an attenuator of a laser light source having better pointing stability out of the first laser light source and the second laser light source to be higher than the transmittance of an attenuator of the other laser light source.

3. The laser irradiation device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control unit derives the transmittances of the first attenuator and the second attenuator so that a composite energy density obtained by adding a value obtained by multiplying the energy density of the first laser light source by the transmittance of the first attenuator and a value obtained by multiplying the energy density of the second laser light source by the transmittance of the second attenuator is constant. The laser irradiation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A first polarization ratio control unit provided on the output end side of the first attenuator; a second polarization ratio control unit provided on the output end side of the second attenuator, The control unit changes the polarization ratios in the first polarization ratio control unit and the second polarization ratio control unit based on the derived transmittance. The laser irradiation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The control unit derives the transmittance of each of the first attenuator and the second attenuator by inputting the acquired characteristic information of the first laser light source and the second laser light source into a transmittance learning model that outputs the transmittance of the first attenuator and the transmittance of the second attenuator when characteristic information of the first laser light source and characteristic information of the second laser light source are input. The laser irradiation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A first polarization ratio control unit provided on the output end side of the first attenuator; A second polarization ratio control unit provided on the output end side of the second attenuator; an OED sensor and an unevenness monitor for detecting the luminance of a substrate on which the laser light from the laser light source is irradiated; the transmittance learning model outputs the transmittance of the first attenuator, the transmittance of the second attenuator, the polarization ratio of the first polarization ratio control unit, and the polarization ratio of the second polarization ratio control unit when characteristic information of the first laser light source, characteristic information of the second laser light source, a detection value from the OED sensor, and a detection value from the unevenness monitor are input; The control unit derives the transmittance of each of the first attenuator and the second attenuator and the polarization ratio of each of the first polarization ratio control unit and the second polarization ratio control unit by inputting the acquired characteristic information of the first laser light source and the second laser light source and the detection values ​​from the OED sensor and the unevenness monitor into the transmittance learning model.

7. The laser irradiation device according to claim 6.

8. A laser irradiation device having a plurality of laser light sources, a control unit that controls lasers emitted from the plurality of laser light sources, The control unit is Acquire characteristic information of each of the plurality of laser light sources; Performing a predetermined process according to each of the acquired characteristic information, acquiring, as the characteristic information, a pulse waveform of a laser emitted from each of the plurality of laser light sources; Deriving a synchronization deviation value for the acquired multiple pulse waveforms; When the derived synchronization deviation value becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined allowable threshold, a notification signal is output. Laser irradiation device.

9. The control unit derives the synchronization deviation value by inputting the acquired multiple pulse waveforms to a synchronization deviation value learning model that outputs a synchronization deviation value of the multiple pulse waveforms when the multiple pulse waveforms are input. The laser irradiation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer that controls lasers emitted from a plurality of laser light sources, (A) acquiring characteristic information of each of the plurality of laser light sources; (B) performing a predetermined process according to each of the acquired characteristic information; the plurality of laser light sources include a first laser light source and a second laser light source, The laser irradiation device including the plurality of laser light sources includes a first attenuator that determines a transmittance of the laser light emitted from the first laser light source, and a second attenuator that determines a transmittance of the laser light emitted from the second laser light source, Deriving transmittances of the first attenuator and the second attenuator based on characteristic information of the first laser light source and the second laser light source, The transmittance of the first attenuator and the second attenuator is controlled based on the derived transmittance. A laser irradiation method for performing processing.

11. A computer that controls lasers emitted from a plurality of laser light sources, (A) acquiring characteristic information of each of the plurality of laser light sources; (B) performing a predetermined process according to each of the acquired characteristic information; the plurality of laser light sources include a first laser light source and a second laser light source, The laser irradiation device including the plurality of laser light sources includes a first attenuator that determines a transmittance of the laser light emitted from the first laser light source, and a second attenuator that determines a transmittance of the laser light emitted from the second laser light source, Deriving transmittances of the first attenuator and the second attenuator based on characteristic information of the first laser light source and the second laser light source, The transmittance of the first attenuator and the second attenuator is controlled based on the derived transmittance. A program that executes a process.

12. A computer that controls lasers emitted from a plurality of laser light sources, (A) acquiring characteristic information of each of the plurality of laser light sources; (B) performing a predetermined process according to each of the acquired characteristic information; acquiring, as the characteristic information, a pulse waveform of a laser emitted from each of the plurality of laser light sources; Deriving a synchronization deviation value for the acquired multiple pulse waveforms; When the derived synchronization deviation value becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined allowable threshold, a notification signal is output. A laser irradiation method for performing processing.

13. A computer that controls lasers emitted from a plurality of laser light sources, (A) acquiring characteristic information of each of the plurality of laser light sources; (B) performing a predetermined process according to each of the acquired characteristic information; acquiring, as the characteristic information, a pulse waveform of a laser emitted from each of the plurality of laser light sources; Deriving a synchronization deviation value for the acquired multiple pulse waveforms; When the derived synchronization deviation value becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined allowable threshold, a notification signal is output. A program that executes a process.

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