Patent ID: 7186602

Claim:
An annealing method comprising the steps of: setting target values with respect to intensity of laser light and distribution of the intensity in advance; preparing a beam profile modulating section between a laser source and an irradiation region and preparing a substrate and a beam profile measuring section so as to be interchangeably placed into the irradiation region; placing the beam profile measuring section in the irradiation region, emitting laser light from the light source, modulating the intensity of the laser light and distribution of the intensity by the beam profile modulating section, and measuring the intensity of the laser light incident on the irradiation region and the distribution of the intensity by the beam profile measuring section; adjusting parameters of the beam profile modulating section based on the measuring results such that the measuring results match with the target values; placing the substrate in the irradiation region such that an incident surface of the substrate is positioned in the irradiation region, thereby aligning the substrate with the beam profile modulating section; irradiating the substrate with the laser light modulated by the beam profile modulating section when the measurement results match with the targets; and repeating the alignment step and the laser irradiation step to form a semiconductor substrate having not smaller than two types of crystal grains different in diameter therein.