Method and apparatus forming crystallized semiconductor layer, and method for manufacturing semiconductor apparatus

Abstract

A method for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer includes preparing a non-single-crystal semiconductor layer in which at least one crystal seed is formed, and irradiating with an energy ray the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer having the crystal seed formed therein to allow a crystal to laterally grow from the crystal seed in the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer, irradiation of the energy ray is carried out by positioning to at least a part of the crystal seed an area having a minimum intensity value of the energy ray, the energy ray having a confirmation that an area having a maximum intensity value of the energy ray is continuously reduced to the area having the minimum intensity value in an irradiated surface.

1 - 22 . (canceled)  
     
     
         23 . An apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer, comprising: 
 a movable stage which supports a non-single-crystal semiconductor layer having at least one crystal seed previously formed therein;    an energy ray source which emits an energy ray toward the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer;    a phase shifter which is arranged between the stage and the energy ray source, and causes the energy ray emitted from the energy ray source to have a light intensity distribution in which an area where an irradiation intensity of the energy ray has a maximum value is continuously reduced to an area where it has a minimum value; and    means for positioning the area of the phase shifter in which the energy ray irradiation intensity has the minimum value to the crystal seed by moving the stage,    wherein the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer is irradiated with the energy ray having the light intensity distribution, and a crystal grows laterally from the crystal seed.    
     
     
         24 . (canceled)  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer, comprising: 
 a movable stage which supports a non-single-crystal semiconductor layer having at least one crystal seed previously formed therein;    an energy ray source which emits an energy ray toward the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer;    an opt-spatial modulation element which is arranged between the stage and the energy ray source, and causes the energy ray emitted from the energy ray source to have a light intensity distribution in which an area where an irradiation intensity of the energy ray has a maximum value is continuously reduced to an area where it has a minimum value; and    a positioning member for positioning the area of the opt-spatial modulation element in which the energy ray irradiation intensity has the minimum value to the crystal seed by moving the stage,    wherein the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer is irradiated with the energy ray having the light intensity distribution, and a crystal grows laterally from the crystal seed.    
     
     
         26 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 25 , wherein the minimum intensity value of the energy ray has an irradiation intensity by which the crystal seed is not melted.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 25 , wherein the maximum intensity value of the energy ray is an intensity by which the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer is melted.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 25 , wherein the energy ray source includes an excimer laser.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 25 , wherein the crystal seed is formed by scanning the non single-crystal semiconductor layer by using an energy ray.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 25 , wherein the at least one crystal seed is a plurality of dotted crystal seeds which are separated from each other along the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 25 , wherein the opto-spatial modulation element has a phase shifter.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 31 , wherein the phase shifter has a transparent body including at least one thick part and a thin part crystal seed which are adjacent to each other.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 32 , further including a semi-permeable portion which is provided to each of the thick part and the thin part and has a transparent portion.  
     
     
         34 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 31 , wherein the phase shifter has a transparent body including at least one thick part, a thin part, and a phase shift portion formed of a step portion between the thick wall portion and the thin wall portion, and transmittance restricting means for an energy ray is provided on at least one surface of the transparent body.  
     
     
         35 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 34 , wherein the transmittance restricting means is provided to each of the thick part and the thin wall portion of the transparent body, but it is not provided to the phase shift portion.  
     
     
         36 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 34 , wherein the transmittance restricting means for an energy ray is provided to the thick part and the thin part crystal seed including the phase shift portion.  
     
     
         37 . The apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer according to  claim 34 , wherein the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer is formed of non-single-crystal silicon, and an intensity of the energy ray transmitted through the transmittance restricting means is lower than an energy ray intensity which is transmitted through the phase shift portion and required to crystallize the non-single-crystal silicon.  
     
     
         38 . An apparatus for forming a crystallized semiconductor layer comprising: 
 means for forming a non-single-crystal semiconductor layer on a substrate;    means for forming at least one crystal seed in the non single-crystal semiconductor layer by irradiating the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer with an energy ray that an area in which an irradiation intensity of the energy ray has a maximum value is continuously reduced to an area in which it has a minimum value in an irradiated surface; and    means for allowing a crystal grain to laterally grow from the crystal seed in the non-single-crystal semiconductor layer by relatively moving the substrate with respect to the irradiating energy ray, positioning the area in which the energy ray irradiation intensity has the minimum value to the crystal seed, and applying the energy ray, the irradiation intensity of the energy ray having a maximum value continuously reduced to the area in which it has a minimum value in an irradiated surface.