Adjustable spatial filter for laser scribing apparatus

A method of radiatively scribing a substantially planar semiconductor substrate along a scribelane that extends between opposing rows of semiconductor devices on a target surface of the substrate, the method comprising:

• providing the substrate on a substrate holder;
• focusing onto the target surface of the substrate an adjustable array of plural light beams, such array including a first plurality of light beams with mutually different X coordinates and a second plurality of light beams with mutually different Y coordinates;
• causing relative displacement of said substrate holder relative to said array, so as to translate said array along said scribelane;
• and
• blocking selected light beams of said array before they impinge on said substrate, using an adjustable spatial filter comprising a plurality of motorized plates adjustable and oriented so as to block a first peripheral subset of said first plurality of light beams and a second peripheral subset of said second plurality of light beams located outside a chosen inner region of said array.

An apparatus for radiatively scribing a substantially planar semiconductor substrate along a scribelane that extends between opposing rows of semiconductor devices on a target surface of the substrate, the scribelane having a length extending parallel to a first direction and a width extending parallel to a second direction, the first and second directions lying respectively parallel to X and Y axes of a Cartesian coordinate system, the apparatus comprising:

• a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate;
• an illuminator configured to produce an adjustable array of several light beams;
• a projection system configured to focus said light beams onto the target surface of the substrate when held on the substrate holder;
• an actuator system configured to cause relative displacement of the substrate holder with respect to said light beams parallel to an XY plane;
• an adjustable spatial filter positioned between said illuminator and said substrate holder, and comprising a plurality of motorized plates adjustable so as to at least partially block selectable light beams of the array;
• and
• at least one motorized plate of the motorized plates comprises a plurality of parallel fingers that are individually slidable relative to one another.