Patent ID: 7167499

Claim:
A gas discharge laser crystallization apparatus for performing a transformation of a crystal makeup or orientation in the substrate of a workpiece comprising: a multichamber laser system comprising: a first laser unit comprising: a first gas discharge chamber; a first pair of elongated spaced apart opposing electrodes contained within the first chamber, forming a first elongated gas discharge region; a laser gas contained within the first chamber comprising a halogen and a noble gas selected to produce laser light at a center wavelength optimized to the crystallization process to be carried out on the workpiece; a second laser unit comprising: a second gas discharge chamber; a second pair of elongated spaced apart opposing electrodes contained within the second chamber, forming a second elongated gas discharge region; a laser gas contained within the second chamber comprising a halogen and a noble gas selected to produce laser light at a center wavelength optimized to the crystallization process to be carried out on the workpiece, wherein the second laser unit is coupled to the first laser unit such that the laser output of the first laser unit can be double passed through the second gas discharge chamber of the second laser unit; a power supply module comprising: a DC power source; a first pulse compression and voltage step up circuit connected to the DC power source and connected to the first pair of electrodes comprising a multistage fractional step up transformer having a plurality of primary windings connected in series and a single secondary winding passing through each of the plurality of primary windings, and a solid state trigger switch; and a second pulse compression and voltage step up circuit connected to the DC power source and connected to the second pair of electrodes comprising a multistage fractional step up transformer having a plurality of primary windings connected in series and a single secondary winding passing through each of the plurality of primary windings, and a solid state trigger switch; and a laser timing and control module operative to time the closing of the respective solid state switch based upon operating parameters of the respective first and second pulse compression and voltage step up circuit to effect operation of the first and second laser units as either a POPA configured laser system or a POPO configured laser system to produce a single output laser light pulse beam.