Patent ID: 6281471
Filing Date: 2001-08-28
Classification: B23K,H01L,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
An energy-efficient, laser-based method for processing target material having a specified dimension in a microscopic region without causing undesirable changes in electrical or physical characteristics of material surrounding the target material, the method comprising:generating a laser pulse train utilizing a laser having a wavelength at a repetition rate wherein each of the pulses of the pulse train has a predetermined shape;optically amplifying the pulse train without significantly changing the predetermined shape of the pulses to obtain an amplified pulse train wherein each of the amplified pulses has a substantially square temporal power density distribution, a sharp rise time, a pulse duration and a fall time; anddelivering and focusing at least a portion of the amplified pulse train into a spot on the target material wherein the rise time is fast enough to efficiently couple laser energy to the target material, the pulse duration is sufficient to process the target material and the fall time is rapid enough to prevent the undesirable changes to the material surrounding the target material.