Patent ID: 8415587

Claim:
An apparatus for processing edges of a substrate, comprising: a laser for emitting a laser beam of optical radiation; a vacuum chuck for supporting a substrate, the substrate having a top edge, apex edge, and bottom edge; a fiber optic input coupler for directing the laser beam into an optical fiber; a fiber optic beam delivery assembly, including a fiber optic output coupler disposed to direct optical radiation emitted by the optical fiber along at least three beam paths in a defined order, with a first beam path directing optical radiation to the top edge of the substrate; a second beam path directing optical radiation to the apex edge of the substrate; and a third beam path directing optical radiation to the bottom edge of the substrate, the fiber optic beam delivery assembly further arranged such that the first, second, and third beam paths are equal in length; and the apparatus thereby removing or transforming films, particles, or residues on each of the top edge, apex edge, and bottom edge of the substrate by application of the optical radiation, and in a single substrate processing step without removing the substrate from the vacuum chuck.