Patent ID: 7300858

Claim:
A method for processing at least one section of a thin film sample on a substrate, comprising the steps of: (a) controlling an irradiation beam generator to emit successive irradiation beam pulses at a predetermined repetition rate; (b) masking each of the irradiation beam pulses to define a first plurality of beamlets and a second plurality of beamlets, the first and second plurality of beamlets of each of the irradiation pulses being provided for impinging the film sample and having an intensity which is sufficient to at least partially melt irradiated portions of the at least one section of the film sample; (c) irradiating a particular portion of the at least one section of the film sample with the first beamlets of a first pulse of the irradiated beam pulses to melt first areas of the particular portion, the first areas being at least partially melted, leaving first unirradiated regions between respective adjacent ones of the first areas and being allowed to resolidify and crystallize; and (d) after step (c), irradiating the particular portion with the second beamlets of a second pulse of the irradiated beam pulses to melt second areas of the particular portion, the second areas being at least partially melted, leaving second unirradiated regions between respective adjacent ones of the second areas and being allowed to resolidify and crystallize, wherein the first irradiated and re-solidified areas and the second irradiated and resolidified areas are intermingled with one another within the at least one section of the film sample, and wherein the first areas correspond to first pixels, and the second areas correspond to second pixels.