1. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising:
forming a semiconductor film over a substrate having an insulating surface;
irradiating said semiconductor film with a laser beam aslant to said semiconductor film while moving said substrate at a constant rate in a first direction by moving a slider wherein the substrate is provided over the slider;
moving said substrate in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction by a distance smaller than a width of said laser beam;
irradiating said semiconductor film with said laser beam aslant to said semiconductor film while moving said substrate in a third direction parallel and opposite to said first direction; and
moving said substrate in said second direction by a distance smaller than said width of said laser beam,
wherein the slider is moved in a non-contact manner, and
wherein said steps of irradiating said semiconductor film with said laser beam while moving said substrate in said first direction, moving said substrate in said second direction, irradiating said semiconductor film with said laser beam while moving said substrate in said third direction, and moving said substrate in said second direction are continuously repeated.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said constant rate falls within a range of 20 to 200 cms.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said laser beam is processed into elliptic shape on an irradiation surface.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein an angle for irradiating said laser beam aslant to said semiconductor film is 5 to 10\xb0 with respect to a normal line direction of a front surface of said substrate or a normal line direction of a rear surface of said substrate.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein crystallization of said semiconductor film is progressed in a direction parallel to said substrate and closer to an end face of said substrate.
6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said laser beam is irradiated to said semiconductor film from a rear surface side of said substrate.
7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said laser beam is a kind of second harmonics emitted from a laser selected from a group consisting of a Nd: YAG laser, an Nd: YLF laser, an Nd: YVO4 laser and an Nd: YAlO3 laser.
8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said laser beam is outputted at a power of not lower than 10 W.
9. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising:
forming a semiconductor film over a substrate having an insulating surface;
modulating said laser beam by a nonlinear optical element;
condensing said modulated laser beam by causing said modulated laser beam to pass through a waveguide;
irradiating said semiconductor film with said condensed laser beam aslant to said semiconductor film while moving said substrate at a constant rate in a first direction by moving a slider wherein the substrate is provided over the slider;
moving said substrate in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction by a distance smaller than a width of said laser beam;
irradiating said semiconductor film with said condensed laser beam aslant to said semiconductor film while moving said substrate in a third direction parallel and opposite to said first direction; and
moving said substrate in said second direction by a distance smaller than said width of said laser beam,
wherein the slider is moved in a non-contact manner, and
wherein said steps of irradiating said semiconductor film with said condensed laser beam while moving said substrate in said first direction, moving said substrate in said second direction, irradiating said semiconductor film with said condensed laser beam while moving said substrate in said third direction, and moving said substrate in said second direction are continuously repeated.
10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said constant rate falls within a range of 20 to 200 cms.
11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said laser beam is processed into elliptic shape on an irradiation surface.
12. A method according to claim 9, wherein an angle for irradiating said laser beam aslant to said semiconductor film is 5 to 10\xb0 with respect to a normal line direction of a front surface of said substrate or a normal line direction of a rear surface of said substrate.
13. A method according to claim 9, wherein crystallization of said semiconductor film is progressed in a direction parallel to said substrate and closer to an end face of said substrate.
14. A method according to claim 9, wherein said laser beam is irradiated to said semiconductor film from a rear surface side of said substrate.
15. A method according to claim 9, wherein said laser beam is a kind of second harmonics emitted from a laser selected from a group consisting of a Nd: YAG laser, an Nd: YLF laser, an Nd: YVO4 laser and an Nd: YAlO3.
16. A method according to claim 9, wherein said laser beam is outputted at a power of not lower than 10 W.
17. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising:
forming a semiconductor film over a substrate; and
irradiating said semiconductor film with a laser beam aslant to said semiconductor film through a cylindrical lens having a focal length of 500 nm or more while moving said substrate at a constant rate in a first direction by moving a slider wherein the substrate is provided over the slider;
moving said substrate in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction by a distance smaller than a width of said laser beam;
irradiating said semiconductor film with said laser beam aslant to said semiconductor film while moving said substrate in a third direction parallel and opposite to said first direction; and
moving said substrate in said second direction by a distance smaller than said width of said laser beam,
wherein the slider is moved in a non-contact manner, and
wherein said steps of irradiating said semiconductor film with said laser beam while moving said substrate in said first direction, moving said substrate in said second direction, irradiating said semiconductor film with said laser beam while moving said substrate in said third direction, and moving said substrate in said second direction are continuously repeated.
18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said constant rate falls within a range of 20 to 200 cms.
19. A method according to claim 17, wherein said laser beam is processed into elliptic shape on an irradiation surface.
20. A method according to claim 17, wherein an angle for irradiating said laser beam aslant to said semiconductor film is 5 to 10\xb0 with respect to a normal line direction of a front surface of said substrate or a normal line direction of a rear surface of said substrate.
21. A method according to claim 17, wherein crystallization of said semiconductor film is progressed in a direction parallel to said substrate and closer to an end face of said substrate.
22. A method according to claim 17, wherein said laser beam is irradiated to said semiconductor film from a rear surface side of said substrate.
23. A method according to claim 17, wherein said laser beam is a kind of second harmonics emitted from a laser selected from a group consisting of a Nd: YAG laser, an Nd: YLF laser, an Nd: YVO4 laser and an Nd: YAlO3 laser.
24. A method according to claim 17, wherein said laser beam is outputted at a power of not lower than 10 W.
25. A method according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is a glass substrate.
26. A method according to claim 9, wherein said substrate is a glass substrate.
27. A method according to claim 17, wherein said substrate is a glass substrate.
28. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
moving said substrate while being accelerated before irradiating said semiconductor layer; and
moving said substrate while being decelerated after irradiating said semiconductor layer.
29. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:
moving said substrate while being accelerated before irradiating said semiconductor layer; and
moving said substrate while being decelerated after irradiating said semiconductor layer.
30. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:
moving said substrate while being accelerated before irradiating said semiconductor layer; and
moving said substrate while being decelerated after irradiating said semiconductor layer.
31. A method according to claim 1, wherein said laser beam is a CW laser beam.
32. A method according to claim 9, wherein said laser beam is a CW laser beam.
33. A method according to claim 17, wherein said laser beam is a CW laser beam.
34. A method according to claim 1, wherein the slider is moved by using a principle of a linear motor force.
35. A method according to claim 9, wherein the slider is moved by using a principle of a linear motor force.
36. A method according to claim 17, wherein the slider is moved by using a principle of a linear motor force.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A pencil sharpener assembly comprising:
(a) a pencil sharpener comprising:
(i) a housing defining a centering aperture and a retainer;
(ii) means coupled to said housing for sharpening a pencil and directing shavings from inside said retainer out of said pencil sharpener;
(b) a retainer coupled to said pencil sharpener, said retainer comprising:
(i) a first portion coupled to said housing;
(ii) a second portion;
(iii) resilient means coupled between said first portion and said second portion for biasing said second end toward said housing.
2. The pencil sharpener of claim 1, wherein said retainer is a spring.
3. The pencil sharpener of claim 2, wherein said spring is substantially flat.
4. The pencil sharpener of claim 2, wherein said spring comprises a first end coupled to said housing, a pincher, and a shoulder biasing said pincher toward said housing.
5. The pencil sharpener of claim 4, wherein said spring further comprises a diverter coupled to said pincher.
6. The pencil sharpener of claim 2, wherein said spring is coupled to said housing, extends away from said housing and angles back toward said housing toward a pincher sufficiently to define an inner spring space.
7. The pencil sharpener of claim 6, wherein said spring further comprises a diverter coupled to said pincher.
8. The pencil sharpener of claim 1, wherein said pencil sharpener assembly has no straight line dimension greater than seven centimeters.
9. The pencil sharpener of claim 8, wherein said pencil sharpener assembly weighs less than one hundred grams.
10. The pencil sharpener of claim 1, wherein said pencil sharpener assembly weighs less than one hundred grams.
11. The pencil sharpener of claim 1, wherein said sharpening means comprises means for directing shavings away from said pencil sharpener assembly.
12. A pencil sharpener comprising:
(a) a pencil sharpener comprising:
(i) a housing defining a centering aperture and a point retainer;
(ii) a blade angled and coupled to said housing in a manner which directs pencil shavings from said point retainer away from said pencil sharpener;
(b) a spring coupled to said housing, said spring comprising:
(i) a first end coupled to said housing;
(ii) a shoulder angled away from and back toward said housing sufficiently to define an inner spring space; and
(iii) a pincher coupled to said shoulder
13. The pencil sharpener of claim 12, wherein said spring comprises a first end coupled to said housing, a pincher, and a shoulder biasing said pincher toward said housing.
14. The pencil sharpener of claim 12, wherein said blade defines an opening to said point retainer.
15. The pencil sharpener of claim 12, wherein said pencil sharpener assembly has no straight line dimension greater than five centimeters.
16. The pencil sharpener of claim 12, wherein said pencil sharpener assembly weighs less than thirty grams.
17. A pencil sharpener assembly comprising:
(a) a pencil sharpener comprising:
(i) a housing defining a point retainer;
(ii) means coupled to said housing for shaving a pencil and diverting pencil shavings away from said pencil sharpener assembly;
(b) a spring coupled to said housing, said spring comprising:
(i) a first end coupled to said housing;
(ii) a shoulder coupled to said first end, said shoulder extending away from and back toward said housing;
(iii) a pincher coupled to said shoulder; and
(iv) means coupled to said pincher for diverting said pincher away from said housing in response to the application of pressure to said diverting means.
18. The pencil sharpener assembly of claim 17, wherein said shaving means is a flat blade.
19. The pencil sharpener assembly of claim 17, wherein said first end, said shoulder, said pincher and said diverting means are substantially flat.
20. The pencil sharpener assembly of claim 17, wherein said pencil sharpener weighs less than 30 grams.