	US 7,605,029 B2
	Method of manufacturing semiconductor device
Osamu Nakamura, Atsugi (Japan); Shunpei Yamazaki, Setagaya (Japan); Koji Dairiki, Atsugi (Japan); Masayuki Kajiwara, Atsugi (Japan); Junichi Koezuka, Atsugi (Japan); and Satoshi Murakami, Atsugi (Japan)
Assigned to Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., Atsugi-shi, Kanagawa-ken (Japan)
Filed on Apr. 25, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/410,274.
Application 11/410274 is a division of application No. 11/061780, filed on Feb. 22, 2005, granted, now 7,033,871.
Application 11/061780 is a division of application No. 10/046893, filed on Jan. 17, 2002, granted, now 6,858,480.
Claims priority of application No. 2001-010890 (JP), filed on Jan. 18, 2001; application No. 2001-019357 (JP), filed on Jan. 29, 2001; and application No. 2001-022398 (JP), filed on Jan. 30, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2006/0270128 A1, Nov. 30, 2006
Int. Cl. H01L 21/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 438—162 [438/166; 438/473; 438/486; 257/E21.4; 257/E21.475]

18 Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

forming an insulating layer over a substrate;

forming a semiconductor film comprising amorphous silicon over the insulating layer;

providing said semiconductor film with a material for promoting crystallization of silicon, said material comprising a metal element;

crystallizing said semiconductor film provided with said material by irradiating said semiconductor film with first light;

forming a film over the crystallized semiconductor film;

forming a resist mask on the film;

opening a selected region of the film by removing the film with the resist mask;

introducing a rare gas element into the selected region while the resist mask remains; and

heating the crystallized semiconductor film by irradiating the crystallized semiconductor film with second light so that the metal element contained in the crystallized semiconductor film is horizontally gettered to said selected region,

wherein the rare gas element is added to the insulating layer.