Laser cutting of semiconductor materials
First Claim
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1. A method of cutting a hollow semi-conductor body of silicon into wafers for use in making solid state electronic devices, comprising cutting through said semi-conductor body with a short pulse laser in a vacuum or in a gaseous environment consisting substantially of one or more of the following gases:
- forming gas and noble gases.
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Abstract
A method of cutting thin bodies of silicon so as to minimize edge damage comprises traversing said bodies with the beam of a pulsed laser in a vacuum or in the presence of forming gas or a noble gas.
147 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of cutting a hollow semi-conductor body of silicon into wafers for use in making solid state electronic devices, comprising cutting through said semi-conductor body with a short pulse laser in a vacuum or in a gaseous environment consisting substantially of one or more of the following gases:
- forming gas and noble gases.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of cutting a hollow semi-conductor body of silicon into wafers for use in making solid state electronic devices, comprising the steps of:
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surrounding said semi-conductor body with a collar so as to define an annular space surrounding said body, injecting a gas consisting of one or more gases from the group consisting of forming gas and the noble gases He, Ne, Ar and Kr into said annular space; and
cutting said semi-conductor body by means of a short pulse length laser that is operated so as to beam laser energy pulses through said annular space to said semi-conductor body, whereby laser cutting of said semi-conductor body is conducted in the presence of said gas. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method of cutting a semi-conductor body comprising the steps of:
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passing a laser energy beam through a gas assist nozzle so that said laser energy beam impinges upon and cuts through a selected portion of said semiconductor body; and
simultaneously injecting a gas from the group consisting of forming gas and the noble gases He, Ne, Ar and Kr into said gas assist nozzle and discharging a stream of said gas from said nozzle concurrently with said laser energy beam, with said stream of gas being directed so as to contact said selected portion of said semiconductor body as said selected portion is being cut by said laser beam. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of cutting a semi-conductor body comprising the steps of:
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placing said body in a vessel having a window that is transparent to laser energy and evacuating said vessel so that said body is in an air-free environment; and
passing laser energy beam through said window into said vessel to said semi-conductor body and causing said laser energy beam to traverse said semiconductor body so that said laser energy beam will cut out portions of said semiconductor body. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of cutting a hollow semi-conductor body of silicon into wafers for use in making solid state electronic devices, comprising the steps of:
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using a short pulse laser to make a series of circumferentially-spaced first cuts in said semiconductor body, with said first cuts commencing at an end edge of said body and extending longitudinally of said body;
using a short pulse laser to make circumferentially-extending second cuts in said semiconductor body, with said second cuts intersecting said first cuts so as to separate a plurality of wafers from said body, characterized in that said first and second cuts are made in a gaseous environment consisting substantially of one or more of the following gases;
forming gas and noble gases. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification