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Semiconductor manufacturing using optical ablation

  • US 7,115,514 B2
  • Filed: 10/01/2004
  • Issued: 10/03/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of removing material from a surface of a semiconductor wafer comprising the steps of:

  • generating an initial wavelength-swept-with-time optical pulse in an optical pulse generator;

    amplifying the initial pulse;

    compressing the amplified pulse to a duration of less than about 10 picoseconds, to generate a compressed optical pulse; and

    applying the compressed optical pulse to the wafer surface, to remove material from the wafer surface;

    wherein the step of amplifying is done with a fiber-amplifier and the step of compressing is done with an air-path between gratings compressor, and the initial wavelength-swept-with-time optical pulses is between about 10 picoseconds and about 3 nanoseconds and the compressed optical pulse has a sub-picosecond duration and an energy density on the surface is between about 2 and about 10 times an optical ablation threshold of the surface.

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