Patent ID: 6588232
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A method of laser annealing a to-be-treated object including a semiconductor layer, comprising:loading the to-be-treated object into an annealing chamber; covering a laser irradiation region of the to-be-treated object in the annealing chamber by a cylindrical atmosphere separating cover having an opened end opposing the laser irradiation region with a gap; applying a laser through the atmosphere separating cover to the laser irradiation region of the to-be-treated object while supplying gas into the atmosphere separating cover and forming laminar flows of the gas passing through the gap between the laser irradiation region and the opened end of the atmosphere separating cover to control the oxygen concentration of an atmosphere covering the laser irradiation region to be 0.1% to 13% and to keep an atmosphere in the annealing chamber at a pressure not lower than the atmospheric pressure.