Laser annealing method and laser annealing apparatus

摘要

In the present invention, At least one row of lens arrays, in which a plurality of lenses are arranged in a direction intersecting with the conveying direction of a substrate to correspond to the plurality of TFT forming areas set in a matrix on the substrate, is shifted in the direction intersecting with the conveying direction of the substrate, to thereby align the lenses in the lens array with the TFT forming areas on the substrate based on the alignment reference position. The laser beams are irradiated onto the lens array when the substrate moves and the TFT forming areas reach the underneath of the corresponding lenses of the lens array, and the laser beams are focused by the plurality of lenses to anneal the amorphous silicon film in each TFT forming area.

主权项

1. A laser annealing method for annealing an amorphous silicon film in each of a plurality of thin-film transistor (hereinafter, referred to as “TFT”) forming areas set in a matrix on a substrate with a predetermined array pitch, by focusing laser beams onto the TFT forming area by a plurality of lenses in a lens array, the laser annealing method comprising:
capturing an image on a surface of the substrate by an imaging device while conveying the substrate in either one array direction of horizontal and vertical directions of the TFT forming areas set in the matrix, and detecting an alignment reference position preset on the surface of the substrate based on the captured image; shifting the lens array in a direction intersecting with a conveying direction of the substrate, and aligning the lenses in the lens array with the TFT forming areas on the substrate based on the alignment reference position, wherein the lens array has such a configuration that the lens array includes a plurality of rows of lens arrays in which lenses are arranged in parallel in the direction intersecting with the conveying direction of the substrate with a pitch of an integral multiple of two or more of an array pitch of the TFT forming areas in the same direction, and a subsequent lens array is shifted by a predetermined dimension in a parallel arrangement direction of the plurality of lenses so as to fill a gap between respective lenses in the lens array positioned at the head in the conveying direction of the substrate; and irradiating the laser beams onto the lens array when the substrate moves and the TFT forming areas reach the underneath of corresponding lenses in the lens array.