Patent ID: 6635554
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A method for processing an amorphous silicon thin film sample into a single or polycrystalline silicon thin film, comprising the steps of:(a) generating a sequence of excimer laser pulses; (b) controllably modulating each excimer laser pulse in said sequence to a predetermined fluence; (c) homogenizing each modulated laser pulse in said sequence in a predetermined plane; (d) masking portions of each homogenized fluence controlled laser pulse in said sequence to generate a sequence of fluence controlled pulses of patterned beamlets; (e) irradiating said amorphous silicon thin film sample with said sequence of fluence controlled patterned beamlets to effect melting of portions thereof corresponding to each fluence controlled patterned beamlet pulse in said sequence of pulses of patterned beamlets; and (f) controllably sequentially translating said sample relative to each of said fluence controlled pulse of patterned beamlets to thereby process said amorphous silicon thin film sample into said single or polycrystalline silicon thin film, wherein said relative translation of said sample is performed based on a coordination of said generation of said excimer laser pulses and said fluence modulation with a relative position of said sample with respect to said sequence of pulses.