Patent ID: 7318866

Claim:
A system for processing a thin film, comprising: a beam steering element for directing laser beam pulses between at least one of a first optical path and a second optical path; at least one first optical element for modulating energy beam characteristics of laser beam pulses directed onto said first optical path; at least one second optical element for modulating energy beam characteristics of laser beam pulses directed onto said second optical path, wherein at least one of the first and second optical elements is selected to provide at least one energy beam characteristic of laser beam pulses directed onto said second optical path that is different than an energy beam characteristic of laser beam pulses directed onto said first optical path; wherein said laser beam pulses directed onto said first optical path are directed to at least a portion of a first region of said thin film, and wherein said laser beam pulses directed onto said second optical path are directed to at least a portion of a second region of said thin film; and a handling stage for controlling the position of said thin film relative to said laser beam pulses being directed via said first optical path and said second optical path, wherein said delivery of said first optical path-directed laser beam pulses and said second optical path-directed laser beam pulses to said thin film can induce melting and subsequent crystallization of said thin film.