This paper reviews advanced excimer-laser crystallization techniques, developed by our group, enabling precise location-control of the individual Si grains. Combined microstructure and time-resolved optical reflectivity investigations during conventional excimer-laser crystallization showed that explosive crystallization occurs during excimer-laser irradiation. The location-control methods use local structural modification in the underlying materials (substrate) using a conventional photolithography. With the developed process, the large grains having a diameter of 6 mum can be set precisely at predetermined positions. We will also discuss the performance of the single-crystalline Si TFTs that are formed within the location-controlled Si grains. The field-effect mobility for electrons is 430 cm(2)/V s on average, which is well comparable to that of TFTs made with silicon-on-insulator wafers.