Patent ID: 8680430

Claim:
A method of accomplishing high-throughput laser processing of workpiece features arranged in a densely spaced pattern while minimizing workpiece feature processing inaccuracy and quality degradation that result from dynamic and thermal loads on laser beam positioning and optical components directing the laser beam during workpiece feature processing, comprising: positioning a workpiece on a support, the workpiece having a process surface that defines a process surface area; directing a laser beam to a beam positioning system to provide a processing laser beam for incidence at feature locations on the process surface of the workpiece, the beam positioning system including a movable stage and first and second beam positioners that cooperate with the movable stage to process in a densely spaced pattern workpiece features at the feature locations on the process surface of the workpiece, the first beam positioner including an optical beam deflector surface mechanism that has a light beam-receiving surface with a center location and is characterized by a first response time, the optical beam deflection surface mechanism operable to position the processing laser beam within a scan field region of the process surface, and the second beam positioner including a zero-inertia optical deflector that receives and deflects the laser beam to produce a deflected output beam propagating to impinge on the light beam-receiving surface, is characterized by a second response time, and is operable to move the processing beam to locations within the scan field region, the second response time being shorter than the first response time; causing the deflected output beam to impinge on the light beam-receiving surface substantially at the center location to control distortion of the scan field region of the process surface of the workpiece; and controlling the beam positioning system to coordinate operation of the movable stage and the first beam positioner to position the processing laser beam within the scan field region and move the scan field region to cover the process surface, the scan field region being substantially smaller than the process surface area of the workpiece and including multiple processing bands that each encompass multiple feature locations; to operate the optical beam deflection surface mechanism of the first beam positioner to successively position the processing laser beam to the multiple processing bands within the scan field region; and to operate the second beam positioner to process the workpiece features at the multiple feature locations in each of the processing bands by moving the processing laser beam to and dwelling the processing laser beam at each feature location to process the workpiece features in the processing band, so that the first beam positioner undergoes negligible acceleration and deceleration during workpiece feature processing within the scan field region.