Abstract:
A method of forming a scribe line having a sharp snap line entails directing a UV laser beam along a ceramic substrate such that a portion of the thickness of the ceramic substrate is removed. The UV laser beam forms a scribe line in the ceramic substrate in the absence of appreciable ceramic substrate melting so that a clearly defined snap line forms a region of high stress concentration extending into the thickness of the ceramic substrate. Consequently, multiple depthwise fractures propagate into the thickness of the ceramic substrate in the region of high stress concentration in response to a breakage force applied to either side of the scribe line to effect clean breakage of the ceramic substrate into separate circuit components. The formation of this region facilitates higher precision breakage of the ceramic substrate while maintaining the integrity of the interior structure of each component during and after application of the breakage force.
Abstract:
A quasi-CW diode-pumped, A-O Q-switched solid-state harmonic laser system (10) synchronizes timing of the quasi-CW pumping with movement of the positioning system (36) to reduce pumping while the positioning system (36) is moving from one target area (31) to the next target area (31) to form multiple vias in a substrate at a high throughput. Thus, the available UV power for via formation is higher even though the loading to the laser pumping diodes (14) remains the same as that currently available through conventional CW pumping with conventionally available laser pumping diodes (14). The quasi-CW-pumping current profile can be further modified to realize a preferred UV pulse amplitude profile.
Abstract:
A burst (50) of ultrashort laser pulses (52) is employed to sever a conductive link (22) in a nonthermal manner and offers a wider processing window, eliminates undesirable HAZ effects, and achieves superior severed link quality. The duration of the burst (50) is preferably in the range of 10 ns to 500 ns; and the pulse width of each laser pulse (52) within the burst (50) is generally shorter than 25 ps, preferably shorter than or equal to 10 ps, and most preferably about 10 ps to 100 fs or shorter. The burst (50) can be treated as a single “pulse” by conventional laser positioning systems (62) to perform on-the-fly link removal without stopping whenever the laser system (60) fires a burst (50) of laser pulses (52) at each link (22). Conventional wavelengths or their harmonics can be employed.
Abstract:
A set (50) of laser pulses (52) is employed to sever a conductive link (22) in a memory or other IC chip. The duration of the set (50) is preferably shorter than 1,000 ns; and the pulse width of each laser pulse (52) within the set (50) is preferably within a range of about 0.1 ps to 30 ns. The set (50) can be treated as a single “pulse” by conventional laser positioning systems (62) to perform on-the-fly link removal without stopping whenever the laser system (60) fires a set (50) of laser pulses (52) at each link (22). Conventional IR wavelengths or their harmonics can be employed.
Abstract:
Methods and systems use laser pulses to process a selected structure on or within a semiconductor substrate. The structure has a surface, a width, and a length. The laser pulses propagate along axes that move along a scan beam path relative to the substrate as the laser pulses process the selected structure. The method simultaneously generates on the selected structure first and second laser beam pulses that propagate along respective first and second laser beam axes intersecting the selected structure at distinct first and second locations. The first and second laser beam pulses impinge on the surface of the selected structure respective first and second beam spots. Each beam spot encompasses at least the width of the selected link. The first and second beam spots are spatially offset from one another along the length of the selected structure to define an overlapping region covered by both the first and the second beam spots and a total region covered by one or both of the first and second beam spots. The total region is larger than the first beam spot and also larger than the second beam spot. The method sets respective first and second energy values of the first and second laser beam pulses to cause complete depthwise processing of the selected structure across the width of the structure in at least a portion of the total region.
Abstract:
A set (50) of laser pulses (52) is employed to sever a conductive link (22) in a memory or other IC chip. The duration of the set (50) is preferably shorter than 1,000 ns; and the pulse width of each laser pulse (52) within the set (50) is preferably within a range of about 0.1 ps to 30 ns. The set (50) can be treated as a single “pulse” by conventional laser positioning systems (62) to perform on-the-fly link removal without stopping whenever the laser system (60) fires a set (50) of laser pulses (52) at each link (22). Conventional IR wavelengths or their harmonics can be employed.
Abstract:
Methods and systems use laser pulses to process a selected structure on or within a semiconductor substrate. The structure has a surface, a width, and a length. The laser pulses propagate along axes that move along a scan beam path relative to the substrate as the laser pulses process the selected structure. The method simultaneously generates on the selected structure first and second laser beam pulses that propagate along respective first and second laser beam axes intersecting the selected structure at distinct first and second locations. The first and second laser beam pulses impinge on the surface of the selected structure respective first and second beam spots. Each beam spot encompasses at least the width of the selected link. The first and second beam spots are spatially offset from one another along the length of the selected structure to define an overlapping region covered by both the first and the second beam spots and a total region covered by one or both of the first and second beam spots. The total region is larger than the first beam spot and also larger than the second beam spot. The method sets respective first and second energy values of the first and second laser beam pulses to cause complete depthwise processing of the selected structure across the width of the structure in at least a portion of the total region.
Abstract:
Systems and methods for processing an electrically conductive link in an integrated circuit use a series of laser pulses having different pulse widths to remove different portions of a target structure without substantially damaging a material underlying the electrically conductive link. In one embodiment, an ultrafast laser pulse or bundle of ultrafast laser pulses removes an overlying passivation layer in a target area and a first portion of link material. Then, a nanosecond laser pulse removes a second portion of the link material to sever an electrical connection between two nodes in the integrated circuit. The nanosecond laser pulse is configured to reduce or eliminate damage to the underlying material.
Abstract:
In a master oscillator power amplifier, a driver (208) of a diode laser (202) is specially controlled to generate a set of two or more injection laser pulses that are injected into a power amplifier (204) operated in an unsaturated state to generate a set (50) of laser pulses (52) that replicate the temporal power profile of the injection laser pulses to remove a conductive link (22) and/or its overlying passivation layer (44) in a memory or other IC chip. Each set (50) includes at least one specially tailored pulse (52) and/or two or more pulses (50) having different temporal power profiles. The duration of the set (50) is short enough to be treated as a single “pulse” by conventional positioning systems (380) to perform on-the-fly link removal without stopping.
Abstract:
A set (50) of laser pulses (52) is employed to sever a conductive link (22) in a memory or other IC chip. The duration of the set (50) is preferably shorter than 1,000 ns; and the pulse width of each laser pulse (52) within the set (50) is preferably within a range of about 0.1 ps to 30 ns. The set (50) can be treated as a single “pulse” by conventional laser positioning systems (62) to perform on-the-fly link removal without stopping whenever the laser system (60) fires a set (50) of laser pulses (52) at each link (22). Conventional IR wavelengths or their harmonics can be employed.