JP7184703B2 - Laser processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus and, for example, to a technique effectively applied to a laser processing apparatus that forms a crystal film by irradiating a substrate on which an amorphous film is formed with a laser beam.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-311249 (Patent Document 1) describes a technique related to a laser processing apparatus including a current plate.

JP 2008-311249 A

In recent years, in order to improve the performance of thin film transistors formed on substrates used in display devices such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays, crystalline films have been used as channels of thin film transistors instead of amorphous films. It is done. In the manufacturing process of such a thin film transistor, a laser processing apparatus is used to perform a laser annealing process for changing an amorphous film formed on a substrate into a crystalline film.

Here, in order to improve the quality of the crystalline film formed on the substrate, it is important to stabilize the atmosphere between the substrate and the irradiating portion that irradiates the laser beam. This is because it is known that when the atmosphere becomes unstable, unevenness in the crystal film becomes apparent as a problem. Therefore, from the viewpoint of improving the quality of the crystal film, it is desired to establish a technique for stabilizing the atmosphere between the irradiating portion that irradiates the laser light and the substrate.

Other problems and novel features will become apparent from the description of the specification and the accompanying drawings.

A laser processing apparatus in one embodiment has a plate-like member arranged around a stage on which a substrate can move. This plate-shaped member is arranged so as to overlap, in a plan view, with a gas-filled portion that injects gas from the opening toward the substrate.

According to one embodiment, the quality of the crystal film can be improved.

1 is an external view showing a large screen television as a liquid crystal display device; FIG. 1 is an external view showing a mobile communication device as a liquid crystal display device; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of manufacturing steps for manufacturing the display device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a display device according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a pixel shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a device structure of a thin film transistor; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of manufacturing steps of a thin film transistor. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of a channel film formation process. It is a figure which shows the typical basic composition of a laser processing apparatus. It is a figure explaining the conveyance mechanism of a laser processing apparatus. 11 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 10; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining features in Embodiment 1; FIG. It is a figure which expands and shows a part of FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 12; It is a figure explaining the operation|movement which conveys a board|substrate. It is a figure explaining the operation|movement which conveys a board|substrate. It is a figure explaining the operation|movement which conveys a board|substrate. It is a figure explaining the operation|movement which conveys a board|substrate. FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a movable mechanism including a movable member; FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a movable mechanism including a movable member; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining characteristic points in Embodiment 2; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the up-and-down motion of each of a plurality of divided parts; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the up-and-down motion of each of a plurality of divided parts; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the up-and-down motion of each of a plurality of divided parts; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the up-and-down motion of each of a plurality of divided parts; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the up-and-down motion of each of a plurality of divided parts; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the up-and-down motion of each of a plurality of divided parts; FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining characteristic points in Embodiment 3; It is a figure explaining the operation|movement which conveys a board|substrate. It is a figure explaining the operation|movement which conveys a board|substrate.

In principle, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings for describing the embodiments, and repeated description thereof will be omitted. Here, in order to make the drawings easier to understand, hatching may be applied even in plan views.

<Example of display device>
FIG. 1 is an external view showing a large-screen television as a liquid crystal display device. In FIG. 1, a large-screen television 100 as a liquid crystal display device is an example of the display device according to the first embodiment. On the other hand, FIG. 2 is an external view showing a mobile communication device as a liquid crystal display device. FIG. 2 shows a smartphone 200 as an example of a mobile communication device, and this smartphone is another example of the display device according to the first embodiment.

As described above, the display device according to the first embodiment is intended for display devices of a wide range of sizes, such as the large-sized large-screen television 100 and the small-sized smartphone 200 . Further, the display device according to the first embodiment is not limited to a liquid crystal display device, and for example, an organic EL display device is also a target.

<Manufacturing process of display device>
Next, an overview of the manufacturing process of the display device according to the first embodiment will be briefly described by taking the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device as an example.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the flow of manufacturing steps for manufacturing the display device according to the first embodiment.

First, a TFT glass substrate and a color filter glass substrate are formed. Specifically, a glass substrate is prepared, and a thin film transistor is formed on the glass substrate by repeatedly applying cleaning technology, photolithography technology, etching technology, and ashing technology to the glass substrate. Thus, a TFT glass substrate having thin film transistors formed on the surface of the glass substrate can be obtained (S101).

Subsequently, an alignment film made of, for example, a polyimide film is applied to the surface of the TFT glass substrate (S102).

After that, the surface of the TFT glass substrate on which the alignment film is formed is rubbed (S103). As a result, an alignment film having fine scratches aligned in a predetermined direction can be formed on the surface of the TFT glass substrate. After that, a sealant is applied to the surface of the TFT glass substrate (S104).

On the other hand, another glass substrate is prepared, and after forming a black matrix on this glass substrate, a color filter is formed on the glass substrate by using a pigment dispersion method, a dyeing method, an electrodeposition method, a printing method, or the like. Form. Thus, a color filter glass substrate having color filters formed on the surface of the glass substrate can be obtained (S105).

Subsequently, an alignment film made of, for example, a polyimide film is applied to the surface of the color filter glass substrate (S106). After that, the surface of the color filter glass substrate on which the alignment film is formed is rubbed (S107). As a result, an alignment film having fine scratches aligned in a predetermined direction can be formed on the surface of the color filter glass substrate. After that, spacers are applied to the surface of the color filter glass substrate (S108).

Next, after bonding the TFT glass substrate coated with the sealant and the color filter glass substrate coated with the spacer (S109), the bonded TFT glass substrate and the color filter glass substrate are scribed (divided). (S110). As a result, the laminated TFT glass substrate and color filter glass substrate are cut into individual liquid crystal display device sizes.

After that, liquid crystal is injected into the gap between the TFT glass substrate and the color filter glass substrate secured by the sealant and the spacer (S111). Then, the gap (space) into which the liquid crystal is injected is sealed (S112).

Subsequently, a pair of polarizing plates are attached so as to sandwich the attached TFT glass substrate and color filter glass substrate (S113). Thus, a liquid crystal display panel can be manufactured. A drive circuit for driving the liquid crystal display panel is crimped to the manufactured liquid crystal display panel (S114), and then a backlight is attached to the liquid crystal display panel (S115). Thus, the liquid crystal display device is completed (S116). As described above, the display device according to the first embodiment can be manufactured.

<Detailed Configuration of Display Device>
Next, a detailed configuration of the display device according to the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the display device according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the display device according to Embodiment 1 has a pixel portion 11 in which a plurality of pixels 10 are arranged in a matrix (rows and columns). The display device according to Embodiment 1 has a scanning line driving circuit 12 and a signal line driving circuit 13 as circuits for driving the plurality of pixels 10 forming the pixel portion 11 . The pixels 10 are determined to be in a selected state or a non-selected state for each row by scanning signals supplied by wirings 14 (scanning lines) electrically connected to the scanning line driving circuit 12 . Further, the pixels 10 selected by the scanning signal are supplied with image signals (video signals) through wirings 15 (signal lines) electrically connected to the signal line driving circuit 13 .

Here, although FIG. 4 shows an example of a stripe arrangement in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix, it is not limited to this. or Bayer arrangement can also be adopted.

Furthermore, as the display method in the pixel section 11, a progressive method, an interlace method, or the like can be used. The color elements controlled by the pixels 10 for color display are not limited to the three colors of RGB (red, green, and blue). A configuration in which one or more colors are added is also possible. At this time, the size (size) of the display area may be different for each dot of the color element. Note that the display device according to the first embodiment is not limited to a color display device, and can also be applied to a monochrome display device.

Next, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the pixel shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the pixel 10 is provided with a thin film transistor 16 functioning as a switching element and a liquid crystal element 17 functioning as a display section. For example, the liquid crystal element 17 has a structure in which a liquid crystal material is sandwiched between a pair of electrodes (a pixel electrode and a counter electrode).

A gate electrode of the thin film transistor 16 is electrically connected to the wiring 14 (scanning line). On the other hand, one of the source electrode and the drain electrode is electrically connected to the wiring 15A (signal line), and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode of the liquid crystal element 17. there is

A panel constituting such a display device has a plurality of pixel regions (a plurality of pixels), and a thin film transistor is formed in each of the plurality of pixel regions.

<Device structure of thin film transistor>
Next, the device structure of the thin film transistor 16 will be described.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the device structure of a thin film transistor.

In FIG. 6, the thin film transistor 16 has a top-gate structure. As shown in FIG. 6, the thin film transistor 16 has a channel film 21 formed on a substrate 20 (for example, a glass substrate) having an insulating surface. The channel film 21 is made of a polysilicon film which is a polycrystalline semiconductor film. A gate insulating film 22 made of, for example, a silicon oxide film is formed on the substrate 20 so as to cover the channel film 21, and a gate electrode 23 made of, for example, a metal material is formed on the gate insulating film 22. It is Furthermore, an interlayer insulation film 24 is formed on the gate insulation film 22 so as to cover the gate electrode 23. On the interlayer insulation film 24, a source electrode 25A and a drain electrode 25B made of, for example, a metal material are formed. formed. Each of source electrode 25A and drain electrode 25B is in contact with channel film 21 through through holes provided in interlayer insulating film 24 and gate insulating film 22 . A protective film 26 made of, for example, a silicon oxide film is formed to cover the interlayer insulating film 24, the source electrode 25A, and the drain electrode 25B.

As described above, the thin film transistor 16 is formed. A channel film 21 made of a polysilicon film is a component of the thin film transistor 16 . Here, an example in which the thin film transistor 16 is configured as a thin film transistor having a top gate structure has been described, but the thin film transistor 16 can be configured as a thin film transistor having a bottom gate structure as another example. .

<Manufacturing process of thin film transistor>
Next, the manufacturing process of the thin film transistor will be described.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the flow of the manufacturing process of the thin film transistor.

First, a channel film is formed on a glass substrate, which is a substrate made of glass, for example (S201). This channel film can be formed, for example, from a polysilicon film. Next, a gate insulating film is formed on the glass substrate so as to cover the channel film (S202). The gate insulating film is made of, for example, a silicon oxide film and can be formed by using a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method. Subsequently, a gate electrode is formed on the gate insulating film (S203). For the material of the gate electrode, for example, metal materials such as molybdenum, titanium, chromium, tantalum, tungsten, aluminum, copper, neodymium, and scandium, and alloy materials containing these metal materials as main components can be used. After that, an interlayer insulating film is formed on the gate insulating film so as to cover the gate electrode (S204). After forming through holes in the interlayer insulating film and the gate insulating film, source and drain electrodes are formed (S205). Examples of materials that can be used for the source and drain electrodes include aluminum, chromium, tantalum, titanium, molybdenum, and tungsten. Next, a protective film is formed on the interlayer insulating film so as to cover the source electrode and the drain electrode (S206). This protective film can be formed, for example, from a silicon oxide film.

As described above, a thin film transistor can be manufactured.

<<Process of Forming Channel Film>>
Here, the details of the process of forming the channel film will be described.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of the channel film formation process.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the step of forming the channel film, first, an amorphous silicon film is formed on the glass substrate (S301). Thereafter, the amorphous silicon film is irradiated with a laser beam to perform laser annealing (S302). Thereby, the amorphous silicon film is heated. As a result, a polysilicon film is formed from the amorphous silicon film (S303). As described above, a channel film made of a polysilicon film can be formed. In the following, the usefulness of forming a channel film from a polysilicon film instead of an amorphous silicon film will be described.

Since the channel film functions as a passage for electrons, the characteristics of the channel film affect the performance of the thin film transistor. Polysilicon has a higher mobility than amorphous silicon. Therefore, the performance of the thin film transistor can be improved by forming the channel film from a polysilicon film. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the channel film is composed of a polysilicon film. Specifically, as described above, after the amorphous silicon film is formed, the amorphous silicon film is changed into a polysilicon film by applying laser annealing to the amorphous silicon film. Therefore, in order to form the channel film from a polysilicon film, a laser annealing process (heating process) is required, and a laser processing apparatus is required to carry out this laser annealing process.

Here, laser annealing treatment using a laser processing apparatus is performed in the state of the mother glass, but in recent years, in order to reduce manufacturing costs, the number of panels that can be obtained from one mother glass has been increased. is being carried out. For this reason, mother glasses used in the manufacturing process of display devices are becoming larger. This means that it is necessary to increase the size of the laser processing apparatus that performs laser annealing processing in the mother glass state.

Regarding this point, in the prior art, the entire processing chamber of the laser processing apparatus is evacuated to carry out the laser annealing process. However, due to the increase in size of the mother glass, the size of the laser processing apparatus has increased, and with the "vacuum type" laser processing apparatus in which the entire processing chamber is placed in a vacuum state, the weight of the laser processing apparatus and the decrease in productivity (increase in the time required for vacuuming), it is necessary to consider an alternative apparatus, for example, the laser processing apparatus shown in FIG.

<Basic configuration of laser processing apparatus>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic basic configuration of a laser processing apparatus.

In FIG. 9, a laser processing apparatus 500 includes a laser light generator 501 , an optical attenuator 502 , an optical system module 503 , a sealed housing 504 and a processing chamber 505 . The laser light generator 501 is composed of a laser oscillator that outputs laser light, and an optical attenuator 502 for adjusting the output of the laser light is arranged at the output destination of the laser light generator 501 . ing. The optical attenuator 502 has a function of adjusting the output of the laser light by adjusting the transmittance of the laser light.

Next, an optical system module is arranged at the destination of the laser light whose output is adjusted by the optical attenuator 502 . This optical system module is composed of a reflecting mirror 503A, a lens (not shown), and the like, and has a function of shaping the laser light input from the optical attenuator 502 to the optical system module 503 into a line beam of laser light. have. The output portion of the optical system module 503 is provided with a seal window 503B having translucency with respect to the laser beam. , are output from the optical system module 503 .

Next, a sealed housing 504 is provided at the destination of the laser light output from the optical system module 503 . The inside of this sealed housing 504 is a sealed space, and the laser light travels through this sealed space. A sealing window 504A having transparency to the laser beam is provided at the output portion of the sealed housing 504. As shown in FIG.

A processing chamber 505 is arranged at the destination of the laser beam output from the sealed housing 504 . A local gas seal portion 505A connected to a seal window 504A provided at the output portion of the sealed housing 504 is attached to the processing chamber 505 . An inert gas typified by nitrogen gas, for example, is supplied to the local gas seal portion 505A. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the upper side of the local gas seal portion 505A is sealed by a seal window 504A provided in the sealed housing 504, while the lower side of the local gas seal portion 505A has an opening. The portion OP is provided. Therefore, the inert gas supplied to the local gas seal portion 505A is discharged to the lower side of the local gas seal portion 505A through the opening portion OP. Here, as shown in FIG. 9, a stage 1 is arranged below the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A. A substrate 2 is arranged. An amorphous silicon film 3A is formed on the surface (upper surface) of the substrate 2, and the inert gas discharged from the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A is formed on the surface of the substrate 2. It is designed to be sprayed onto the amorphous silicon film 3A.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, the substrate 2 on which the amorphous silicon film 3A is formed is transported while being floated on a fixed stage 1 . Specifically, the laser processing apparatus 500 is configured such that the substrate 2 is transported in the direction of the arrow while floating above the stage 1 by the gas blown from the surface of the stage 1 . As a result, the substrate 2 transported in the direction of the arrow can be irradiated with the laser beam while floating above the stage 1 .

<Basic operation of the laser processing apparatus>
The basic configuration of the laser processing apparatus 500 is as described above, and the operation of the laser processing apparatus 500 will be described below with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 9, the laser light output from the laser light generator 501 is input to the optical system module 503 after the light output is adjusted by the optical attenuator 502 . In the optical system module 503 , the laser light input to the optical system module 503 is formed into a line beam shape on the substrate 2 by a lens system provided therein. After being reflected by a reflecting mirror 503A arranged inside the optical system module 503, for example, the laser beam enters the sealed housing 504 through the seal window 503B. The laser beam that has entered the sealed housing 504 travels through the internal space of the sealed housing 504, and then enters the local gas seal portion 505A provided in the processing chamber 505 through the seal window 504A. Then, the laser beam that has entered the local gas seal portion 505A is irradiated onto the substrate 2 placed on the stage 1 through the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A. Specifically, the amorphous silicon film 3A formed on the surface of the substrate 2 is irradiated with the laser light. At this time, the inert gas is supplied to the local gas seal portion 505A, and the inert gas is exhausted from the opening OP provided at the bottom of the local gas seal portion 505A. Then, the inert gas discharged from the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A is blown onto the substrate 2 placed on the stage 1 . Specifically, inert gas is blown onto the amorphous silicon film 3A formed on the surface of the substrate 2 . In this manner, in the laser processing apparatus 500, the amorphous silicon film 3A formed on the surface of the substrate 2 is irradiated with the laser light shaped into a line beam while blowing the inert gas. That is, in the laser processing apparatus 500, while moving the substrate 2 in the direction of the arrow while floating the stage 1, while blowing the inert gas onto the amorphous silicon film 3A formed on the surface of the substrate 2, the line A laser beam shaped into a beam shape is irradiated. As a result, the amorphous silicon film 3A formed on the surface of the substrate 2 is locally heated, thereby changing the laser irradiation region of the amorphous silicon film 3A into a polysilicon film, and the amorphous silicon film. The laser irradiation area in 3A can be scanned.

Thus, according to the laser processing apparatus 500, the entire amorphous silicon film 3A can be changed into a polysilicon film.

In the laser processing apparatus shown in FIG. 9, the local gas seal portion 505A is provided, and the inert gas supplied to the local gas seal portion 505A is locally sprayed onto the amorphous silicon film 3A formed on the surface of the substrate 2. Meanwhile, the amorphous silicon film 3A is locally irradiated with laser light. According to such a laser processing apparatus, the atmosphere above the region of the amorphous silicon film 3A to which the inert gas is blown is locally low in oxygen concentration (an atmosphere close to a vacuum state). That is, according to the laser processing apparatus shown in FIG. 9, by using the local gas seal portion 505A, only the atmosphere above the laser irradiation area can have a lower oxygen concentration than the atmosphere in the other areas. Therefore, according to the laser processing apparatus shown in FIG. 9, the weight of the laser processing apparatus can be reduced and the productivity can be improved more than the "vacuum type" laser processing apparatus.

<Conveyance Mechanism of Laser Processing Device>
In the laser processing apparatus 500 having the basic configuration described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the substrate 2 on which the amorphous silicon film 3A is formed moves on the stage 1 while floating. That is, the substrate 2 is transported while floating on the stage 1, but the substrate 2 needs to be supported in order to transport the substrate 2 in a predetermined direction.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a conveying mechanism of the laser processing apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 10, a supporting portion 600A and a supporting portion 600B functioning as a transport mechanism are provided at the end portion of the stage 1, and the substrate 2 is, for example, either the supporting portion 600A or the supporting portion 600B. Adsorbed and fixed to one side. Then, the substrate 2 is transported on the stage 1 using either one of the support section 600A and the support section 600B. For example, when the substrate 2 is fixed by suction to the support section 600A, the support section 600B is not used, and only the support section 600A is used to move the stage 1 top. On the other hand, when the substrate 2 is fixed by suction to the support portion 600B, the support portion 600A is not used, and only the support portion 600B is used to move the substrate 2 on the stage 1. FIG. At this time, both the supporting portion 600A and the supporting portion 600B are configured to be movable in the “−y direction”, which is the direction in which the substrate 2 is moved.

Thus, the substrate 2 on which the amorphous silicon film 3A is formed is supported by, for example, either one of the movable support portions 600A and 600B provided at the end portion of the stage 1, and It is lifted by the gas that erupts from the surface. That is, the substrate 2 on which the amorphous silicon film 3A is formed is lifted by either the support portion 600A or the support portion 600B provided at the end of the stage 1 while being floated by the gas ejected from the surface of the stage 1. It will move along the "-y direction". In this way, the end portion of the stage 1 is provided with the support portion 600A and the support portion 600B.

Although FIG. 10 shows the laser irradiation region LIR irradiated with the laser beam, if the substrate 2 is not transported to the laser irradiation region LIR, the laser irradiation region LIR is irradiated with the laser beam. not. On the other hand, when the substrate 2 is transported to the laser irradiation area LIR, the laser irradiation area LIR is irradiated with laser light.

<Consideration of improvement>
In the following, first, the laser processing apparatus in the related technology will be described, and then room for improvement in the related technology will be described. After that, the technical idea of the first embodiment, in which the room for improvement in the related art is devised, will be described.

Here, the "related art" as used in this specification is a technology having a problem newly discovered by the inventor, and is not a known prior art, but a technology underlying a new technical idea (unknown technology ) is the technology described with the intention of

In FIG. 10, in the laser processing apparatus of the related art, the x-direction width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A is larger than the x-direction width of the stage 1 . This is because the width of the substrate 2 in the x direction is larger than the width of the stage 1 in the x direction, and the laser processing apparatus is constructed so that the substrate 2 is irradiated with the line beam-shaped laser light. is. Since the width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in the x direction is larger than the width of the stage 1 in the x direction, naturally the width of the local gas seal portion 505A in the x direction is , is larger than the width of the stage 1 in the x direction.

However, in the laser processing apparatus according to the related art, the width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in the x direction is larger than the width of the stage 1 in the x direction. The present inventors have newly found that the unevenness of the polysilicon film formed on the surface of the substrate becomes apparent as a problem. This point will be described below.

11 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 10. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11, the inside of the local gas seal portion 505A is filled with an inert gas, and the inert gas flows from the opening OP provided at the bottom of the local gas seal portion 505A to the surface of the stage 1. is sprayed on In particular, the inert gas is blown near the laser irradiation region LR through the opening OP provided at the bottom of the local gas seal portion 505A.

Here, as shown in FIG. 11, the x-direction width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A is larger than the x-direction width of the stage 1 . Therefore, the inert gas injected from the opening OP provided at the bottom of the local gas seal portion 505A is not only injected toward the surface of the stage 1, but also protrudes from the edge of the stage 1. The area 300A and the protruding area 300B are also injected. At this time, in the protruding region 300A and the protruding region 300B, the inert gas injected from the opening OP provided at the bottom of the local gas seal portion 505A does not collide with the stage 1, Exit in the direction (-z direction). As a result, the pressure near the protruding regions 300A and 300B where the inert gas escapes becomes lower than the pressure near the surface of the stage 1 where the inert gas is blown. As shown in FIG. 11, this means that an air current is generated that flows from the surface of the stage 1 toward the protruding region 300A (300B) (±x directions). In FIG. 11, this means that an airflow is generated due to the pressure difference in the long axis direction (x direction) of the laser irradiation area LIR, and this causes the long axis direction (x direction) of the laser irradiation area LIR. This means that it causes instability of the atmosphere in That is, as shown in FIG. 11, when the width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in the x direction is larger than the width of the stage 1 in the x direction, the local gas seal portion 505A and the stage A protruding region 300A (300B) that does not overlap with 1 is generated. As a result, a pressure difference occurs between the surface of the stage 1 to which the inert gas is blown and the protruding region 300A (300B) through which the inert gas passes, and the pressure difference in the long axis direction (x direction) of the laser irradiation region LIR. Airflow caused by Thus, in the laser processing apparatus of the related art, the stability of the atmosphere near the laser irradiation region LIR is disturbed. This means that the oxygen concentration in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR fluctuates. When the oxygen concentration in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR fluctuates, unevenness in the polysilicon film formed on the substrate passing through the laser irradiation region LIR becomes apparent as a problem. In particular, it is a known fact that when the oxygen concentration in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR fluctuates, unevenness occurs in the polysilicon film formed on the substrate passing through the laser irradiation region LIR. On the other hand, one of the factors that causes the oxygen concentration in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR to fluctuate is that the width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in the x direction is larger than the width of the stage 1 in the x direction. The finding is based on the new knowledge of the present inventor. That is, the present inventor's novel knowledge is that, for example, as shown in FIG. As a result, unevenness occurs in the polysilicon film formed on the substrate.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, based on the knowledge newly found by the present inventors, contrivances are made to address the room for improvement that exists in the laser processing apparatus in the related art. In the following, the technical idea of this embodiment with this ingenuity will be described.

<Features of Embodiment 1>
FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining features of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 12, the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment includes a stage 1 on which the substrate 2 can move, and a support section 600A for transporting the substrate 2 on the stage 1 in the "-y direction". and a support portion 600B, and a local gas seal portion 505A positioned above the laser irradiation region LIR and having an opening OP. On the premise of the configuration described above, as shown in FIG. 12, the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment is arranged around the stage 1 and overlaps the local gas seal portion 505A in plan view. It has a movable member 700A and a movable member 700B. Specifically, the movable member 700A and the movable member 700B are arranged so as to overlap the opening OP formed in the local gas seal portion 505A in plan view.

Here, the first characteristic point of the present embodiment is that the movable members 700A and 700B are arranged at a position that planarly overlaps the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in plan view. It is in. As a result, the width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in the x direction is larger than the width of the stage 1 in the x direction. can be suppressed.

The reason for this will be explained below.

13 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 12. FIG.

In FIG. 13, the local gas seal portion 505A continues to be supplied with an inert gas, typically nitrogen gas, from the outside. As a result, while the inside of the local gas seal portion 505A is filled with inert gas, the inert gas is injected from the opening OP provided in the bottom surface of the local gas seal portion 505A. For example, in FIG. 13, the inert gas injected from the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A is indicated by vertical arrows. Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the inert gas injected from the opening OP is sprayed onto the stage 1 and then diffuses in the direction indicated by the horizontal arrow. On the other hand, the laser irradiation region LIR exists at a position that planarly overlaps with the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A. Therefore, in the vicinity of the laser irradiation area LIR, after the inert gas is sprayed from above, the sprayed inert gas collides with the surface of the stage 1 and diffuses in the horizontal direction. As a result, the oxygen gas existing in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR is swept out from the laser irradiation region LIR by the inert gas. Therefore, in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR, the oxygen concentration can be made lower than in other regions. This means that the quality of the polysilicon film formed on the substrate passing through the laser irradiation region LIR can be improved.

However, the width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in the x direction is larger than the width of the stage 1 in the x direction. Since the width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in the x direction is larger than the width of the stage 1 in the x direction, naturally the width of the local gas seal portion 505A in the x direction is , is larger than the width of the stage 1 in the x direction. Thus, if the x-direction width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A is made larger than the x-direction width of the stage 1, for example, as shown in FIG. 300A and an overhang region 300B are formed.

Therefore, if no modification is made to the configuration in which the x-direction width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A is larger than the x-direction width of the stage 1, as shown in FIG. Then, not only the inert gas is blown onto the stage 1, but also the protruding region 300A and the protruding region 300B.

However, there is no barrier against the injected inert gas in the protruding region 300A and the protruding region 300B. For this reason, in the protruding region 300A and the protruding region 300B, as shown in FIG. It exits in the downward direction (-z direction) of the stage 1. As a result, the pressure near the protruding regions 300A and 300B where the inert gas escapes becomes lower than the pressure near the surface of the stage 1 where the inert gas is blown. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, an air current is generated that flows from the surface of the stage 1 toward the protruding region 300A or the protruding region 300B (±x directions). For this reason, in FIG. 11, an airflow caused by a pressure difference is generated in the long axis direction (x direction) of the laser irradiation area LIR, which causes instability of the atmosphere in the long axis direction (x direction) of the laser irradiation area LIR. It will be. Instability of the atmosphere in the major axis direction (x direction) of the laser irradiation region LIR causes variations in oxygen concentration in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR. The polysilicon film formed on the substrate passing through the laser irradiation region LIR becomes uneven due to the instability of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR and the variation in the oxygen concentration caused by the instability of the atmosphere.

Regarding this point, in the laser processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1, for example, as shown in FIG. A movable member 700B is arranged. That is, in the laser processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1, the movable member 700A is arranged in the protruding region 300A, and the movable member 700B is arranged in the protruding region 300B. Therefore, for example, the inert gas injected toward the protruding region 300A collides with the movable member 700A and diffuses in the xy plane along the surface of the movable member 700A. In other words, the inert gas injected toward the protruding region 300A does not escape in the downward direction (-z direction) of the stage 1. FIG. Similarly, the inert gas injected toward the protruding region 300B collides with the movable member 700B and diffuses in the xy plane along the surface of the movable member 700B. In other words, the inert gas injected toward the protruding region 300B does not escape in the downward direction (-z direction) of the stage 1. FIG. This means that, in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, even if protruding regions 300A and 300B exist, the presence of movable members 700A and 700B causes protruding regions 300A and 300B to be separated. This means that the pressure in any region is not extremely lower than the pressure near the surface of stage 1 where the inert gas is blown. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, it is difficult for an air current to flow from the surface of the stage 1 toward the protruding region 300A or the protruding region 300B (±x directions). Then, as shown in FIG. 13, since a pressure difference is less likely to occur in the long axis direction (x direction) of the laser irradiation region LIR, an airflow due to this pressure difference is less likely to occur. Therefore, in the laser processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1, the stability of the atmosphere in the long axis direction (x direction) of the laser irradiation region LIR can be improved. Improving the stability of the atmosphere in the x direction also leads to the stability of the atmosphere in the y and z directions in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR. Therefore, it is possible to reduce variations in oxygen concentration in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR. Therefore, in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, by improving the stability of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR and reducing the variation in the oxygen concentration, the polyimide film formed on the substrate passing through the laser irradiation region LIR is reduced. The quality of the silicon film can be improved.

FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 12. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 14, movable members 700A and 700B are arranged around the stage 1 . As a result, the inert gas jetted from the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A as indicated by the vertical arrows collides with the surface of the stage 1 and also with the movable members 700A and 700B. I know you do. In other words, it can be seen that the inert gas injected toward the protruding regions 300A and 300B is blocked by the movable members 700A and 700B without escaping to the lower side of the stage 1 (-z direction). Therefore, according to the laser processing apparatus of the first embodiment, the pressure of the atmosphere near the protruding region 300A and the pressure of the atmosphere near the protruding region 300B are approximately the same as the pressure of the atmosphere near the surface of the stage 1. It can be seen that As a result, according to the laser processing apparatus of the first embodiment, the pressure of the atmosphere near the protruding region 300A and the pressure of the atmosphere near the protruding region 300B are higher than the pressure of the atmosphere near the surface of the stage 1. It is possible to suppress the variation in oxygen concentration caused by the extremely low Therefore, according to the laser processing apparatus of the first embodiment, it is possible to improve the quality of the polysilicon film formed on the substrate passing through the laser irradiation region LIR.

Here, when irradiating the substrate with laser light to change the amorphous silicon film formed on the substrate into a polysilicon film, the airflow in the major axis direction (x direction) of the laser irradiation region LIR is the largest. Suppression is important. Therefore, in practice, the movable members 700A and 700B are arranged such that the surfaces of the movable members 700A and 700B are at approximately the same height as the surface of the substrate conveyed on the stage 1. is desirable. In other words, the movable member 700A and the movable member 700B are arranged such that the surface of the movable member 700A and the surface of the movable member 700B are positioned higher than the surface of the stage 1 by the thickness of the substrate. is desirable.

As shown in FIG. 12, the first feature of the first embodiment is that the movable member 700A and the movable member 700B are positioned so as to overlap the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in plan view. At the point of placement. Regarding this point, for example, instead of the above-described first characteristic point, there is also a countermeasure to make the width of the stage 1 in the x direction larger than the width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in the x direction. Conceivable. This is because if this countermeasure is adopted, all the inert gas injected from the opening OP collides with the stage 1, and for example, the protruding region 300A and the protruding region 300B shown in FIG. 11 do not exist. is. That is, when the width of the stage 1 in the x direction is made larger than the width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in the x direction, the protruding regions 300A and 300B do not exist. and the variation in oxygen concentration caused by the protruding region 300B can be suppressed.

However, it is difficult to implement this countermeasure if the substrate transport method described with reference to the column "<Transport Mechanism of Laser Processing Apparatus>" and FIG. 10 is adopted. This is because, as shown in FIG. 10, in the substrate transfer method according to the first embodiment, while the substrate 2 is levitated by the gas ejected from the surface of the stage 1, the supporting portion 600A provided at the end of the stage 1 and the This is because the substrate 2 is moved on the stage 1 along the “−y direction” by one of the support portions 600B. Specifically, for example, in FIG. larger than the width in the x direction. In this case, neither the support portion 600A nor the support portion 600B provided at the end of the stage 1 can hold the substrate 2 that is included in the stage 1 having a large planar size. For this reason, it is difficult to implement a countermeasure to make the x-direction width of the stage 1 larger than the x-direction width of the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A.

Therefore, the first characteristic point of the first embodiment is to provide the basic idea of suppressing variations in oxygen concentration caused by protruding regions 300A and 300B while realizing the substrate transfer method shown in FIG. excellent in that it is

However, in order to actually embody the basic idea of being able to suppress variations in the oxygen concentration caused by the protruding regions 300A and 300B while realizing the substrate transfer method shown in FIG. 10, further ingenuity is required. , this further devised point is the second characteristic point in the first embodiment. The second characteristic point in Embodiment 1 will be described below.

A second feature of the first embodiment is that each of movable member 700A and movable member 700B is configured to be horizontally movable. As a result, the basic concept of suppressing variation in oxygen concentration due to the protruding region while realizing the substrate transfer method shown in FIG. 10 can be actually realized. This point will be described with reference to the operation of transporting the substrate. First, in FIG. 15, the substrate 2 is supported by the supporting portion 600A arranged at the end portion of the stage 1 while being floated by the substrate floating gas jetted from the upper surface of the stage 1 . At this time, the support portion 600A is configured to be movable in the “−y direction”. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, by moving the support section 600A in the "-y direction", the substrate 2 fixed to the support section 600A is transported in the "-y direction". Here, the movable member 700A is arranged on the extension of the “−y direction” in which the support portion 600A moves. Therefore, if the movable member 700A is fixed, it interferes with the support section 600A moving in the "-y direction", and the substrate 2 cannot be transported in the "-y direction" by the support section 600A. .

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, when the support portion 600A approaches the movable member 700A, the movable member 700A is moved in the "-x direction". Here, as shown in FIG. 16, the planar shape of the laser irradiation area LIR on the stage 1 is a rectangle having a short axis and a long axis, and the direction of the long axis of the laser irradiation area LIR intersects the y direction. is the x-direction. At this time, the movable member 700A is arranged on an extension line of the long axis of the laser irradiation area LIR, and is configured to be movable along the x direction. Therefore, when the support portion 600A approaches the movable member 700A, the movable member 700A can be moved in the "-x direction". As a result, the movable member 700A can be retracted from the extension of the “−y direction” in which the support portion 600A moves. That is, as shown in FIG. 16, by configuring the movable member 700A to be movable in the “−x direction”, it is possible to avoid interference between the movable member 700A and the support portion 600A. It is possible to prevent the movable member 700A from interfering with the transportation of the substrate 2 by the support section 600A while being arranged on the flow line of the section 600A. That is, as shown in FIG. 16, the support portion 600A movable along one side of the stage 1 moves so as to pass between the one side of the stage 1 and the horizontally moved movable member 700A in plan view. can do.

In this manner, in addition to the first feature of the first embodiment, that is, the movable member 700A is provided, the second feature of the first embodiment is that the movable member 700A is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction. By adopting the characteristic point, the movable member 700A can be arranged in the protruding region without interfering with the transport of the substrate 2 by the support portion 600A. In other words, by combining the first feature point and the second feature point, the movable member 700A can suppress variations in the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR while realizing the transport of the substrate 2 by the support portion 600A. It can embody the basic idea.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 17, after the substrate 2 supported by the support portion 600A passes through the local gas seal portion 505A, the movable member 700A moves in the "+x direction" and is arranged in the protruding region. be. In other words, the movable member 700A is configured to be able to move in the “±x directions”, and the movable member 700A is positioned so as to approach one side of the stage 1 when the substrate 2 is not present in the laser irradiation area. On the other hand, it is positioned away from one side of the stage 1 when the substrate 2 is present in the laser irradiation area LIR.

As shown in FIG. 17, while the substrate 2 supported by the supporting portion 600A is undergoing the laser annealing treatment, the substrate 2A is loaded onto the stage 1, supported by the supporting portion 600B, and subjected to the laser annealing treatment. the previous state. After that, as shown in FIG. 18, the substrate 2 that has undergone the laser annealing process is unloaded from the stage 1 . Then, the support portion 600A supporting the substrate 2 is lowered by the elevating mechanism and moved upstream ("+y direction") of the stage 1 while avoiding interference with the movable member 700A. At the same time, by moving the support portion 600B toward the downstream side (“−y direction”) of the stage 1, the substrate 2A supported by the support portion 600B is transported in the “−y direction” and laser annealed. is performed on the substrate 2A. Thus, in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, the laser annealing process is performed on the substrate 2 supported by the supporting portion 600A, and the laser annealing process is performed on the substrate 2A supported by the supporting portion 600B. The operation of performing the processing is alternately performed. This makes it possible to continuously process a plurality of substrates (2, 2A) and improve the throughput of the laser annealing process.

<<Details of the movable mechanism that moves the movable member>>
As described above, the second feature of the first embodiment is that each of movable member 700A and movable member 700B is configured to be horizontally movable. In the following, focusing on the movable member 700A, for example, a movable mechanism that allows the movable member 700A to move in the horizontal direction will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view schematically showing a movable mechanism including movable members.

In FIG. 19, the movable mechanism 800A has a guide rail 801 and a guide rail 802. As shown in FIG. The guide rail 801 and the guide rail 802 are arranged apart from each other by a constant distance in the y direction, and each of the guide rail 801 and the guide rail 802 extends in the x direction while being parallel to each other. A movable member 700A is arranged so as to be fitted between the guide rails 801 and 802 . The movable member 700A is configured to move in the ±x directions while being guided by the guide rails 801 and 802 . For example, FIG. 19 shows a state in which the movable member 700A is moved in the “+x direction” by the movable mechanism 800A so that the movable member 700A is arranged close to one side (end portion) of the stage 1 . On the other hand, FIG. 20 shows a state in which the movable member 700A is moved in the “−x direction” by the movable mechanism 800A so that the movable member 700A is arranged away from one side (end) of the stage 1. FIG. In this manner, the laser processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 is configured such that the movable member 700A can be horizontally moved by the movable mechanism 800A. As a result, the second feature point in the first embodiment is specifically realized.

<Summary of Effects in Embodiment 1>
According to the laser processing apparatus in Embodiment 1, the following effects can be obtained.

In the laser processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, the movable member 700A is arranged in the protruding region 300A, and the movable member 700B is arranged in the protruding region 300B. Therefore, the movable member 700A can receive the inert gas jetted toward the protruding region 300A, and the movable member 700B can receive the inert gas jetted toward the protruding region 300B. As a result, according to the first embodiment, the stability of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR is improved, and the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR can be maintained in a low oxygen concentration state. For this reason, according to the first embodiment, unevenness in the polysilicon film formed on the substrate can be suppressed.

In particular, according to the first embodiment, the pressure of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR can be increased due to the effect of receiving the inert gas by the movable members 700A and 700B. This means that the pressure of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR becomes higher than the pressure of the atmosphere in other regions. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the oxygen concentration of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR due to the atmosphere in other regions flowing into the laser irradiation region LIR. Furthermore, the fact that the pressure of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR is higher than the pressure of the atmosphere in other regions means that the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR is less susceptible to disturbances. , the stability of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR can also be enhanced. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR can be stabilized at a low level, thereby improving the quality of the polysilicon film formed on the substrate.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the existence of the movable members 700A and 700B promotes stabilization of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the waiting time until the stability of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR is ensured. That is, according to the laser processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1, the throughput can be improved. Therefore, the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment is excellent in that both the quality of the polysilicon film to be manufactured and the throughput can be improved.

(Embodiment 2)
<Features of Embodiment 2>
FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining feature points in the second embodiment.

In FIG. 21, a characteristic point of the second embodiment is that, for example, a support portion 600A that supports the substrate 2 is composed of a plurality of divided parts that are divided from each other. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 21, the support portion 600A is composed of three divided portions, for example, a divided portion 610, a divided portion 611, and a divided portion 612. As shown in FIG. Each of the three divided parts 610 to 612 is configured to be vertically movable (±z directions). As a result, according to the second embodiment, in FIG. 21, in a state in which the plate-like members 900A and 900B are fixed at a position overlapping the opening OP provided in the local gas seal portion 505A in plan view, The substrate 2 can be transported from the upstream side of the stage 1 (“+y direction”) to the downstream side of the stage 1 (“−y direction”).

<<Operation of the divided parts>>
This operation will be described below with reference to the drawings.

22 to 27 are diagrams viewed in the direction of the thick arrows in FIG. 21 and diagrammatically show the vertical movement of the three divided parts 610 to 612, respectively.

First, as shown in FIG. 22, the substrate 2 supported by each of the divided parts 610 to 612 is transported in the "-y direction" by moving the divided parts 610 to 612 in the "-y direction". It's coming. Next, as shown in FIG. 23, when the substrate 2 being transported approaches the position where the plate-like member 900A is fixed, the divided portion 610 is lowered by the lifting mechanism. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 23, the substrate 2 is supported by the two divided parts 611 and 612 .

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 24, when the substrate 2 reaches the laser irradiation area, the divided portions 610 to 611 descend. In particular, in FIG. 24, the divided portion 610 positioned directly below the plate-like member 900A moves in the "-y direction" while maintaining the lowered state so as not to collide with the plate-like member 900A. On the other hand, the substrate 2 is supported by the split portion 612 .

After that, as shown in FIG. 25, the divided portion 610 that has passed directly below the plate member 900A is lifted by the lift mechanism. On the other hand, the split portion 612 descends. As a result, the substrate 2 is supported by the divided portion 610 which has risen.

Next, as shown in FIG. 26, as the substrate 2 advances in the “−y direction”, the two divided portions 610 to 611 rise, and the substrate 2 is separated by these two divided portions 610 to 611. is supported. On the other hand, the divided portion 612 maintains the lowered state and passes directly below the plate member 900A.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 27, when the substrate 2 is further transported in the “−y direction”, all the three divided parts 610 to 612 pass directly below the plate member 900A. After that, all of the three divisions 610-612 are raised and the substrate 2 is supported by all of the three divisions 610-612.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 21, the plate member 900A and the plate member 900A and the plate member With the member 900B fixed, the substrate 2 can be transported from the upstream side of the stage 1 (“+y direction”) to the downstream side of the stage 1 (“−y direction”).

Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the plate member 900A and the plate member 900B are transported from the upstream side (“+y direction”) of the stage 1 to the downstream side (“−y direction”) while the substrate 2 is transported. can be maintained close to the stage 1. Therefore, according to the second embodiment, it is possible to always obtain the effect of receiving the inert gas by the plate-like member 900A and the plate-like member 900B. Therefore, the laser processing apparatus according to the second embodiment is highly effective in improving the stability of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR, thereby maintaining the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR in a low oxygen concentration state. can increase As a result, the quality of the polysilicon film formed on the substrate 2 can be improved also according to the second embodiment.

(Embodiment 3)
<Features of Embodiment 3>
FIG. 28 is a diagram for explaining feature points in the third embodiment.

In FIG. 28, a feature of the third embodiment is that a plate-like member 620A is fixed to the support portion 600A, and a plate-like member 620B is fixed to the support portion 600B. The length of the plate member 620A in the “y direction” is substantially the same as the length of the support portion 600A in the “y direction”, and the length of the plate member 620B in the “y direction” is the same as that of the support portion 600B. It is substantially the same as the length in the “y direction”.

For example, consider a case where the substrate 2 is transported in the “−y direction” by moving the support portion 600A in the “−y direction” while supporting the substrate 2 with the support portion 600A to which the plate member 620 is fixed. . At this time, as shown in FIG. 29, when the substrate 2 passes through the laser irradiation region LIR, the plate member 620A passes through the protruding region 300A. Therefore, in this case, the inert gas injected toward the protruding region 300A is received by the plate member 620A passing through the protruding region 300A.

Therefore, according to the third embodiment, the plate-like member 620A fixed to the support portion 600A jets toward the protruding region 300A particularly while the substrate 2 is passing through the laser irradiation region LIR. The inert gas applied is received. This is because, according to the third embodiment, during the period during which the substrate 2 passes through the laser irradiation region LIR, that is, during the period during which the polysilicon film is formed, the plate-like member 620A has the effect of receiving the inert gas. It means that you can get Therefore, the laser processing apparatus according to the third embodiment can also improve the stability of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR, thereby achieving the effect of maintaining the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser irradiation region LIR in a low oxygen concentration state. Obtainable. As a result, the quality of the polysilicon film formed on the substrate 2 can be improved also according to the third embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 30, while the substrate 2 supported by the supporting portion 600A to which the plate member 620A is fixed is being subjected to the laser annealing treatment, the substrate 2A is placed on the stage 1. and is supported by the support portion 600B. After that, the substrate 2 for which the laser annealing process has been completed is unloaded from the stage 1 . Then, the support portion 600A supporting the substrate 2 moves toward the upstream side (“+y direction”) of the stage 1 again. At the same time, by moving the support portion 600B to which the plate-like member 620B is fixed toward the downstream side (“−y direction”) of the stage 1, the substrate 2A supported by the support portion 600B is moved in the “−y direction”. , and laser annealing treatment is performed on the substrate 2A. Thus, in the laser processing apparatus according to the third embodiment as well, the operation of performing the laser annealing treatment on the substrate 2 supported by the support portion 600A and the laser annealing treatment on the substrate 2A supported by the support portion 600B are performed. The operation of performing the processing is alternately performed. Thereby, it becomes possible to continuously process a plurality of substrates (2, 2A), and the throughput of the laser annealing process can be improved.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment, the invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the invention. Needless to say.

1 Stage 2 Substrate 500 Laser Processing Apparatus 501 Laser Light Generation Section 505A Local Gas Sealing Section 600A Supporting Section 600B Supporting Section 610 Divided Section 611 Divided Section 612 Divided Section 620A Plate-like Member 620B Plate-like Member 700A Movable Member 700B Movable Member 900A Plate-like Member 900B Plate-shaped member 1000 Laser beam OP Opening

Claims (17)

Laser processing equipment, including:
A stage on which the substrate can move;
a substrate transport mechanism for transporting the substrate on the stage in a first direction;
a laser oscillator for irradiating the substrate with laser light;
A gas-filled portion positioned above the laser beam irradiation area and having an opening; and a movable member disposed around the stage and overlapping the gas-filled portion in a plan view. a planar shape of the laser beam on the stage is a rectangle having a short axis and a long axis;
the direction of the major axis of the laser light is a second direction that intersects with the first direction;
The movable member is arranged on an extension of the long axis,
2. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said movable member is movable along said second direction. The substrate transport mechanism is movable along one side of the stage,
3. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said substrate transport mechanism moves so as to pass between said one side of said stage and said movable member in plan view. The movable member is
positioned so as to approach the one side of the stage when the substrate is not present in the irradiation area;
4. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said substrate is located away from said one side of said stage when said substrate is present in said irradiation area. 5. The laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the oxygen concentration in said gas-filled portion is lower than the oxygen concentration in other regions. 6. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an inert gas is supplied to said gas filling section . 7. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said substrate is transported by floating. 8. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said substrate is levitated by a substrate levitation gas jetted from the upper surface of said stage. The substrate is glass on which an amorphous semiconductor film is formed,
9. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said amorphous semiconductor film is transformed into a polycrystalline semiconductor film by irradiation with said laser light. Laser processing equipment, including:
A stage on which the substrate can move;
a plurality of substrate transport mechanisms movable along one side of the stage and vertically movable to transport the substrate on the stage;
a laser oscillator for irradiating the substrate with laser light;
A gas-filled portion positioned above the laser beam irradiation area and having an opening; and a plate-like member disposed around the stage and overlapping the gas-filled portion in a plan view. a planar shape of the laser beam on the stage is a rectangle having a short axis and a long axis;
The plate-shaped member is arranged on an extension line of the long axis,
11. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said plurality of substrate transfer mechanisms is located below said plate-like member at a position overlapping said plate-like member in plan view. 12. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of substrate transport mechanisms is provided with an elevating mechanism. 13. The laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the oxygen concentration in said gas filled portion is lower than the oxygen concentration in other regions. 14. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein an inert gas is supplied to said gas filling section . 15. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the substrate is transported by floating. 16. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said substrate is levitated by a substrate levitation gas jetted from the upper surface of said stage. The substrate is composed of a member on which an amorphous semiconductor film is formed,
17. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said amorphous semiconductor film is transformed into a polycrystalline semiconductor film by irradiation with said laser light.

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