Laser crystallizing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10991580-B2
Application number	US-201816204850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2018
Priority date	Dec 5, 2017
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A laser crystallizing apparatus includes a first light source unit configured to emit a first input light having a linearly polarized laser beam shape. A second light source unit is configured to emit a second input light having a linearly polarized laser beam shape. A polarization optical system is configured to rotate the first input light and/or the second input light at a predetermined rotation angle. An optical system is configured to convert the first input light and the second input light, which pass through the polarization optical system, into an output light. A target substrate is seated on a stage and output light is directed onto the target substrate. A monitoring unit is configured to receive the first input light or the second input light from the polarization optical system and measure a laser beam quality thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser crystallizing apparatus comprising:
a first light source unit configured to emit a first input light having a linearly polarized laser beam shape;
a second light source unit configured to emit a second input light having a linearly polarized laser beam shape;
a polarization optical system configured to rotate the first input light and/or the second input light at a predetermined rotation angle;
an optical system configured to convert at least one of the first input light and the second input light, which pass through the polarization optical system, into an output light;
a stage on which a target substrate is seated and onto which the output light is directed; and
a monitoring unit configured to receive the first input light or the second input light from the polarization optical system and measure a laser beam quality thereof.

2. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the polarization optical system rotates the first input light or the second input light two times at the predetermined rotation angle.

3. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined rotation is about 90 degrees.

4. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first light source unit and the second light source unit comprises a solid-state laser generator.

5. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the polarization optical system comprises:
an input polarization rotator configured to rotate polarized light of the first input light and/or the second input light at the predetermined rotation angle;
a beam splitter disposed behind the input polarization rotator on optical paths of the first input light and the second input light, the beam splitter being configured to transmit a first portion of each of the first input light and the second input light and reflect a second portion thereof;
an output polarization rotator disposed behind the beam splitter on the optical paths of the first input light and the second input light to rotate the first and/or second input light, which are polarized, at the predetermined rotation angle; and
a polarization plate configured to block one of, and transmit another of the second portion of the first input light reflected by the beam splitter and the second portion of the second input light reflected by the beam splitter.

6. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first input light and the second input light have the same first polarized state.

7. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the input polarization rotator comprises:
a first input polarization rotator configured to convert the first polarized state of the incident first input light into a second polarized state that is different from the first polarized state; and
a second input polarization rotator configured to maintain the first polarized state of the incident first input light.

8. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first input polarization rotator and the second input polarization rotator have optical axes that are perpendicular to each other or optical axes that have an angle of about 45 degrees therebetween.

9. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the beam splitter comprises:
a first beam splitter configured to reflect one of, and transmit another of, a portion of the first input light passing through the first input polarization rotator; and
a second beam splitter configured to reflect one of, and transmit another of, a portion of the second input light passing through the second polarization rotator.

10. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the output polarization rotator comprises:
a first output polarization rotator configured to convert the second polarized state of the first input light passing through the first beam splitter into the first polarized state; and
a second output polarization rotator configured to maintain the first polarized state of the second input light passing through the second beam splitter.

11. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first output polarization rotator and the second output polarization rotator have optical axes that are perpendicular to each other or optical axes that have an angle of about 45 degrees therebetween.

12. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the monitoring unit comprises:
a focus lens configured to adjust an intensity of and a focus of sensing light passing through the polarization plate;
a plurality of sensor beam splitters spaced apart from each other on an optical path of the sensing light and configured to reflect one of, and transmit another of, a portion of the sensing light;
a plurality of image sensors, each of which is configured to measure a laser width of the sensing light that is reflected by each of the plurality of sensor beam splitters; and
a calculation unit configured to calculate a laser quality according to the laser width of the sensing light received from each of the plurality of image sensors.

13. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sensor beam splitters are disposed at a same interval.

14. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the monitoring unit comprises:
a focus lens configured to adjust an intensity and a focus of sensing light passing through the polarization plate;
a moving image sensor configured to move along an optical path of the sensing light and measure a laser width of the sensing light; and
a calculation unit configured to calculate a laser quality according to the laser width of the sensing light received from the moving image sensor.

15. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a rotational moving unit configured to receive a first signal and a second signal and thereby to rotate an optical axis of each of the first input polarization rotator, the second input polarization rotator, a first output polarization rotator, and a second output polarization rotator at an angle of about 90 degrees in a first direction according to the first signal and rotate the optical axis of each of the first input polarization rotator, the second input polarization rotator, the first output polarization rotator, and the second output polarization rotator at an angle of about 90 degrees in a second direction according to the second signal.

16. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are alternately applied.

17. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a polarization plate rotating moving unit configured to receive a third signal and a fourth signal and thereby to rotate an optical axis of the polarization plate at an angle of about 90 degrees in a first direction according to the third signal and rotate the optical axis at an angle of about 90 degrees in a second direction according to the fourth signal.

18. The laser crystallizing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the third signal and the fourth signal are alternately applied.

19. A laser crystallizing apparatus comprising:
a first light source unit configured to emit a first input light having a laser beam shape and a first polarized state;
a second light source unit configured to emit a second input light having a laser beam shape and the first polarized state;
a first input polarization rotator configured to convert the first input light into a second polarized state different from the first polarized state;
a second input po

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sangu Akifumi
• Han Gyoowan
• Ryu Jekil
• Lee Kyungjae

Classifications

• H10P72/0436

  mainly by radiation · CPC title

• H10P14/3454

  Amorphous · CPC title

• H10P14/3411

  Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium · CPC title

• H10P14/381 Primary

  Beam shaping, e.g. using a mask · CPC title

• H10D86/421

  having a particular composition, shape or crystalline structure of the active layer · CPC title