Laser micromachining with tailored bursts of short laser pulses

A laser micromachining method comprising:

• generating, using an ultrafast laser source, a burst of laser pulses;
• adjusting respective amplitudes of individual laser pulses within the burst of laser pulses, using a high-speed optical modulator, to produce a selectively shaped single burst envelope for processing a target location of a workpiece, the target location including a first layer overlying a second layer, wherein the first layer and the second layer comprise different materials with different laser processing characteristics, the adjusting comprising:
• selectively adjusting one or more first laser pulses within the single burst envelope to a first amplitude based on processing characteristics of a first layer at a target location;
• and
• selectively adjusting one or more second laser pulses within the single burst envelope to a second amplitude based on processing characteristics of a second layer at the target location;
• and
• directing the amplitude adjusted burst of laser pulses to the target location, the single burst envelope of laser pulses processing both the first layer and the second layer at the same target location.