摘要:
Systems and methods are disclosed for shaping a laser beam for interaction with a film in which the laser beam travels along a beam path and defines a short-axis and a long-axis. In one aspect, the system may include a first short-axis element having an edge positioned at a distance, d1, along the beam path from the film and a second short-axis element having an edge positioned at a distance, d2, along the beam path from the film, with d2
摘要:
An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output light pulse beam pulse produced by said gas discharge laser system by controlling the timing of the occurrence of the gas discharge between the first pair of electrodes and the occurrence of the gas discharge between the second pair of electrodes.
摘要:
A high energy, high repetition rate workpiece surface heating method and apparatus are disclosed which may comprise a pulsed XeF laser operating at or above 4000 Hz and producing a laser output light pulse beam at a center wavelength of about 351 nm; an optical system narrowing the laser output light pulse beam to less than 20 μm in a short axis of the laser output light pulse beam and expanding the laser output light pulse beam to form in a long axis of the beam a workpiece covering extent of the long axis; the optical system including a field stop intermediate the laser and the workpiece; the workpiece comprising a layer to be heated; wherein the optical system focuses the laser output light pulse beam at a field stop with a magnification sufficient to maintain an intensity profile that has sufficiently steep sidewalls to allow the field stop to maintain a sufficiently steep beam profile at the workpiece without blocking the beam profile at too high an intensity level. 2. The apparatus may also have a high average power in the laser output light pulse beam as delivered to the workpiece and a a line bow correction mechanism in a short axis optical assembly. The line bow correction mechanism may comprise a plurality of weak cross cylinders. The system may comprise a catadioptric projection system. The linewidth due to laser diffraction and divergence may be less than geometric limitations. The system may project adjacent peaks of the nominal XeF spectrum to improve overall depth of focus through the separate center wavelengths of each respective adjacent peak having a different focal plane at the workpiece. The system may comprise a line bow is correction mechanism within a field stop optical assembly correcting line bow at the field stop plane and within a workpiece projection optical assembly correcting line bow at the workpiece plane.
摘要:
A gas discharge laser crystallization apparatus and method for performing a transformation of a crystal makeup or orientation in a film on a workpiece is disclosed, which may comprise a master oscillator power amplifier MOPA or power oscillator power amplifier configured XeF laser system producing a laser output light pulse beam at a high repetition rate and high power with a pulse to pulse dose control; an optical system producing an elongated thin pulsed working beam from the laser output light pulse beam. The apparatus may further comprise the laser system is configured as a POPA laser system and further comprising: relay optics operative to direct a first output laser light pulse beam from a first laser PO unit into a second laser PA unit; and, a timing and control module timing the creation of a gas discharge in the first and second laser units within plus or minus 3 ns, to produce the a second laser output light pulse beam as an amplification of the first laser output light pulse beam. The system may comprise divergence control in the oscillator laser unit. Divergence control may comprise an unstable resonator arrangement. The system may further comprise a beam pointing control mechanism intermediate the laser and the workpiece and a beam position control mechanism intermediate the laser and the workpiece. Beam parameter metrology may provide active feedback control to the beam pointing mechanism and active feedback control to the beam position control mechanism.
摘要:
A gas discharge laser system producing a laser output pulse and a method of operating such a system is disclosed which may comprise a pulse stretcher which may comprise a laser output pulse optical delay initiating optic directing a portion of the laser output pulse along a laser system output pulse optical axis and diverting a portion of the output pulse into an optical delay having an optical delay path and which may comprise a plurality of confocal resonators in series aligned to deliver an output of the optical delay to the laser output pulse optical delay initiating optic; an optical axis alignment mechanism comprising an radial mirror positioning mechanism operable to position the output of the optical delay to the align with the portion of the laser output pulse transmitted along the optical axis of the portion of the laser system output pulse transmitted by the laser output pulse optical delay initiating optic.
摘要:
A high energy, high repetition rate workpiece surface heating method and apparatus are disclosed which may cmprise a pulsed XeF laser operating at or above 4000 Hz and producing a laser output light pulse beam at a center wavelength of about 351 nm; an optical system narrowing the laser output light pulse beam to less than 20 μm in a short axis of the laser output light pulse beam and expanding the laser output light pulse beam to form in a long axis of the beam a workpiece covering extent of teh long axis; the optical system including a field stop intermediate the laser and the workpiece; the workpiece comprising a layer to be heated; wherein the optical system focuses the laser output light pulse beam at a field stop with a magnification sufficient to maintain an intensity profile that has sufficiently steep sidewalls to allow the field stop to maintain a sufficiently steep beam profile at the workpiece without blocking the beam profile at too high an intensity level. 2. The apparatus may also have a high average power in the laser ouput light pulse beam as delivered to the workpiece and a a linebow correction mechanism in a short axis optical assembly. The linebow correction mechanism may comprise a plurality of weak cross cylinders. The system may comprise a catadioptric projection system. The linewidth due to laser diffraction and divergence may be less than geometric limitations. The system may project adjacent peaks of the nominal XeF spectrum to improve overall depth of focus through the separate center wavelengths of each respective adjacent peak having a different focal plane at the workpiece. The system may comprise a linebow is correction mechanism within a field stop optical assembly correcting linebow at the field stop plane and within a workpiece projection optical assembly correcting linebow at the workpiece plane.
摘要:
A beam delivery unit and method of delivering a laser beam from a laser light source for excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser systems in the DUV and smaller wavelengths is disclosed, which may comprise: a beam delivery enclosure defining an output laser light pulse beam delivery path from an output of a gas discharge laser to an input of a working apparatus employing the light contained in the output laser light pulse beam; a purge mechanism operatively connected to the beam delivery enclosure; an in-situ beam parameter monitor and adjustment mechanism within the enclosure, comprising a retractable beam redirecting optic; a beam analysis mechanism external to the enclosure; and, a retraction mechanism within the enclosure and operable from outside the enclosure and operative to move the retractable beam redirecting optic from a retracted position out of the beam path to an operative position in the beam path. The BDU may also include a beam attenuator unit contained within the enclosure adjustably mounted within the enclosure for positioning within the beam delivery path. The BDU may have at least two enclosure isolation mechanisms comprising a first enclosure isolation mechanism on a first side of the enclosure from the at least one optic module and a second enclosure isolation mechanism on a second side of the enclosure from the at least one optic module, each respective enclosure isolation mechanism comprising a flapper valve having a metal to metal seating mechanism and a locking pin assembly. A precision offset ratchet driver operative to manipulate actuator mechanisms in difficult to reach locations may be provided. An external kinematic alignment tool may be provided. A method of contamination control for a BDU is disclosed comprising selection of allowable materials and fabrication processes.
摘要:
Systems and methods are disclosed for focusing a beam for an interaction with a film deposited on a substrate wherein the focused beam defines a short axis and a long axis. In one aspect, the system may include a detecting system to analyze light reflected from the film on an image plane to determine whether the beam is focused in the short axis at the film. In still another aspect, a system may be provided for positioning a film (having an imperfect, non-planar surface) for interaction with a shaped line beam.
摘要:
An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output light pulse beam pulse produced by said gas discharge laser system by controlling the timing of the occurrence of the gas discharge between the first pair of electrodes and the occurrence of the gas discharge between the second pair of electrodes.
摘要:
A laser crystallization apparatus and method are disclosed for selectively melting a film such as amorphous silicon that is deposited on a substrate. The apparatus may comprise an optical system for producing stretched laser pulses for use in melting the film. In still another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a system and method are provided for stretching a laser pulse. In another aspect, a system is provided for maintaining a divergence of a pulsed laser beam (stretched or non-stretched) at a location along a beam path within a predetermined range. In another aspect, a system may be provided for maintaining the energy density at a film within a predetermined range during an interaction of the film with a shaped line beam.