Patent ID: 7700462

Claim:
A laser irradiation method comprising the steps of: shaping a first laser beam having a wavelength not longer than that of visible light into an elongated beam on a surface to be irradiated, wherein said first laser beam is a harmonic wave of a solid laser; irradiating the surface with the elongated beam wherein an irradiation area of the elongated beam has at least a first portion and a second portion, said first portion having a lower energy density than the second portion; and irradiating the surface with a second laser beam concurrently with the elongated beam, said second laser beam having a fundamental wave emitted from a solid laser, in such a manner that an irradiation area of the second laser beam overlaps at least the first portion of the irradiation area of the elongated beam while moving the surface relatively to the elongated beam and the second laser beam in a first direction.