Patent ID: 8440581

Claim:
A method of processing a thin film comprising: while advancing a thin film in a selected direction, irradiating a first region of the thin film with a first laser pulse and a second laser pulse, each laser pulse providing a shaped beam and having a fluence that is sufficient to melt the thin film throughout its thickness to form a first molten zone and a second molten zone, respectively, that laterally crystallize upon cooling, wherein the second molten zone crystallizes upon cooling to form one or more laterally grown crystals that are elongations of the one or more laterally grown crystals formed from the first molten zone; and irradiating a second region of the thin film with a third laser pulse and a fourth laser pulse, each pulse providing a shaped beam and having a fluence that is sufficient to melt the thin film throughout its thickness to form a third molten zone and a fourth molten zone, respectively, that laterally crystallize upon cooling, wherein the fourth molten zone crystallizes upon cooling to form one or more laterally grown crystals that are elongations of the one or more laterally grown crystals formed from the third molten zone; wherein the time interval between the first laser pulse and the second laser pulse is less than half the time interval between the first laser pulse and the third laser pulse.