Patent ID: 8461480

Claim:
An orthogonal integrated cleaving apparatus for laser-thermal processing of a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a mounting head facing a processing surface supporting the substrate; at least one laser source; a first cleaving device and a second cleaving device mounted on the mounting head on respective perpendicular planes defined by the mounting head, the perpendicular planes being orthogonal to the processing surface and each cleaving device including: assembly means for generating a laser heating beam having a tear-like shape on a surface of the substrate; a nozzle that emits a cooling mist on the surface of the substrate, the nozzle located along a cutting axis defined by the laser heating beam, the nozzle located subsequent to the generating means in a cutting direction along the cutting axis; a vacuum pickup that vacuums up the cooling mist, the vacuum pickup located along the cutting axis and subsequent to the nozzle in the cutting direction; and a reheating assembly that generates a laser heat spot on the surface of the substrate along the cutting axis, the reheating assembly located subsequent to the vacuum pickup in the cutting direction; a first motor that operates to move one of the mounting head and the processing surface along the cutting axis of the first cleaving device so as to process the substrate using the first cleaving device; a second motor that operates to move one of the mounting head and the processing surface along the cutting axis of the second cleaving device so as to process the substrate using the second cleaving device; and a controller configured to: control the first cleaving device while the first motor is operating; control the second cleaving device while the second motor is operating; and control the at least one laser source to provide laser energy to the assembly means and the reheating assembly of whichever of the first cleaving device and the second cleaving device is being controlled.