Provided are a laser annealing apparatus, a laser annealing method, and a mask with which scan nonuniformity can be decreased. According to the present invention, all or some openings of a plurality of openings are configured so that a partial subregion of a prescribed region is irradiated with laser light. The plurality of openings are configured so that, between prescribed regions irradiated with laser light via a group of openings in one row arranged in a row direction and prescribed regions irradiated with laser light via a group of openings in another row arranged in the row direction, the number of times of laser light radiations in subregions having the same occupying region is the same, and at least two openings of a group of openings arranged in a column direction have different positions or shapes.

A laser annealing method is for irradiating an amorphous silicon film formed on a substrate 6 with laser beams and crystalizing the amorphous silicon film, wherein a plurality of first and second TFT formation portions 23, 24 on the substrate 6 are irradiated with laser beams at differing irradiation doses so as to crystalize the amorphous silicon film in the first TFT formation portions 23 into a polysilicon film having a crystalline state and crystalize the amorphous silicon film in the second TFT formation portions 24 into a polysilicon film having another crystalline state that is different from that of the polysilicon film in the first TFT formation portions 23.

A laser annealing method is for irradiating an amorphous silicon film formed on a substrate 6 with laser beams and crystallizing the amorphous silicon film, wherein a plurality of first and second TFT formation portions 23, 24 on the substrate 6 are irradiated with laser beams at differing irradiation doses so as to crystallize the amorphous silicon film in the first TFT formation portions 23 into a polysilicon film having a crystalline state and crystallize the amorphous silicon film in the second TFT formation portions 24 into a polysilicon film having another crystalline state that is different from that of the polysilicon film in the first TFT formation portions 23.

A laser annealing method includes: step A of providing a substrate having an amorphous semiconductor film formed on a surface thereof; and step B of selectively irradiating a portion of the amorphous semiconductor film with laser light. The step B includes a step of simultaneously forming, in the portion, two molten regions that have elongate shapes congruent to each other and are arranged in line symmetry with each other.

A laser annealing method includes: step A of providing a substrate having an amorphous semiconductor film formed on a surface thereof; and step BF of selectively irradiating a portion of the amorphous semiconductor film with laser light. Step B includes a step of simultaneously forming, in said portion, a first melted region that is elongated in a first direction and a second direction that is elongated in a second melted region different from the first direction.

Provided are a laser annealing device, laser annealing method, and mask which make it possible to reduce display blurriness at a mask-joining boundary. The laser annealing device is equipped with a mask in which a plurality of opening blocks, which include a plurality of openings arranged in the column direction parallel to the scanning direction, are arranged in the row direction which is perpendicular to the scanning direction. The laser annealing device moves the mask and/or substrate in a direction parallel to the scanning direction, and each time the mask and/or substrate move to a prescribed position in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction, performs processing for irradiating a plurality of prescribed substrate regions with a laser beam through the plurality of openings. Furthermore, at least one pair comprising adjacent two opening blocks is provided in a manner such that the position of the openings in a first opening block which is one block among the pair and the position of the openings in a second opening block which is the other block among the pair are offset in the direction parallel to the scanning direction.

The invention relates to a method for forming a uniform silicide film using a crystalline semiconductor film in which orientation of crystal planes is controlled, and a method for manufacturing a thin film transistor with less variation in electric characteristics, which is formed over an insulating substrate using the silicide film. A semiconductor film over which a cap film is formed is irradiated with a laser to be crystallized under the predetermined condition, so that a crystalline semiconductor film including large grain crystals in which orientation of crystal planes is controlled in one direction is formed. The crystalline semiconductor film is used for silicide, whereby a uniform silicide film can be formed.

A semiconductor device production system using a laser crystallization method is provided which can avoid forming grain boundaries in a channel formation region of a TFT, thereby preventing grain boundaries from lowering the mobility of the TFT greatly, from lowering ON current, and from increasing OFF current. Rectangular or stripe pattern depression and projection portions are formed on an insulating film. A semiconductor film is formed on the insulating film. The semiconductor film is irradiated with continuous wave laser light by running the laser light along the stripe pattern depression and projection portions of the insulating film or along the major or minor axis direction of the rectangle. Although continuous wave laser light is most preferred among laser light, it is also possible to use pulse oscillation laser light in irradiating the semiconductor film.

Methods and systems for crystallizing a thin film provide a laser beam spot that is continually advanced across tire thin film to create a sustained complete or partial molten zone that is translated across the thin film, and crystallizes to form uniform, small-grained crystalline structures or grains.

A laser annealing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a laser light source, an annealing optical system, a linear irradiation region along a Y-direction, a moving mechanism configured to change a relative position of the irradiation region with respect to the substrate along an X-direction, an illumination light source configured to generate illumination light for illuminating the substrate along a third direction, and a detector configured to detect detection light reflected, in a fourth direction, on the substrate illuminated by the illumination light so as to photograph an annealed part of the substrate in a linear field of view along the Y-direction. In a YZ-plane view, the third direction is inclined from the vertical direction and the fourth direction is inclined from the vertical direction.