# US 12,599,988 B2 · Process of making components for electronic and optical devices using laser processing

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,599,988 B2
- Document ID: US12599988B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/216,729
- Filed: 2021-03-30
- Published: 2021-09-30
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-30
- Assignees: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
- Applicants: Government of the United States, as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
- Inventors: Nicholas R. Glavin; Philip R. Buskohl; Kimberly A. Gliebe; Christopher Muratore; Drake Austin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12599988B2

## CPC

- B23K 26/0006: {taking account of the properties of the material involved (B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence)}
- H10P 95/00: Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass
- G01N 27/125: {Composition of the body, e.g. the composition of its sensitive layer}
- H10H 20/01: Manufacture or treatment
- H10H 20/822: Materials of the light-emitting regions
- H10D 1/47: Resistors having no potential barriers
- H10D 1/714: {having horizontal extensions}
- H10P 14/3808: {using laser beams}
- H10P 34/42: with electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser annealing (laser cutting H10P54/20)
- H10P 95/90: Thermal treatments, e.g. annealing or sintering
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

The present invention relates to processes of making components for electronic and optical devices using laser processing and devices comprising such components. Such process uses a laser to introduce chemical and/or structural changes in substrates and films that are the raw materials from which components for electronic and optical devices are made. Such process yields components that can have one or more electronic and/or optical functionalities that are integrated on the same substrate or film. In addition, such process does not require large-scale clean rooms and is easily configurable. Thus, rapid device prototyping, design change and evolution in the lab and on the production side is realized.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process of making an electrical component, an optical component, or a combined electrical and optical component, said process comprising:
pattern illumination-based annealing at a intensity and for a time, at least one material that comprises, prior to said annealing, two or more regions that are amorphous, nanocrystalline, microcrystalline or crystalline with the proviso that at least two of said regions are not identical with respect being amorphous, nanocrystalline, microcrystalline or crystalline, said at least one material comprising a transition metal and an element selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, phosphorous and mixtures thereof, using a laser or lamp, to form on, within or on and within said material:
(i) at least two electronic elements selected from a conductor, semiconductor and an insulator;
(ii) two or more different conductors having at least one of the following: different electrical properties or different optical properties;
(iii) two or more different semiconductors having at least one of the following: different electrical properties or different optical properties; or
(iv) two or more different insulators having at least one of the following: different electrical properties or different optical properties;
said process being performed under one of the following conditions: vacuum of less than 100 torr, air, or under a fluid blanket other than air;
said pattern illumination-based annealing resulting in at least one of a chemical change or structural change in at least one of said materials that results in an electrical component, an optical component or a combined electrical and optical component being created to form on, within or on and within said material.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said at least one material is a single material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said transition metal is selected from the group consisting of: molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, tantalum, vanadium, titanium, chromium, iron, rhodium, hafnium, rhenium, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said process is performed only under atmospheric air.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said process is performed under a fluid blanket other than air, and said fluid blanket comprises:
a) an element selected from the group consisting of krypton, xenon, radon, argon, neon, helium, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, phosphorous and mixtures thereof;
b) based on total fluid volume greater than 0% to about 19% or from 21% to 100% oxygen; and/or
c) greater than 0% to about 78% or from 80% to 100% nitrogen.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A process according to claim 1 wherein said two or more regions are nanocrystalline, microcrystalline, or crystalline.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A process according to claim 1 wherein said pattern illumination-based annealing is achieved by using a laser to subject said material for a time of about 1 femtosecond to 60 seconds, said laser having power of from about 1 W/cm2 to about 1×1015 W/cm2 over said time of about 1 femtosecond to 60 seconds.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A process according to claim 1 wherein said pattern illumination-based annealing is achieved by using a continuous wave laser to subject said material for a time of about 0.1 milliseconds to 60 seconds to said laser, said laser having power of from about 1 W/cm2 to about 1×108 W/cm2 over said time of about 0.1 milliseconds to 60 seconds.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A process according to claim 1 wherein said pattern illumination-based annealing is achieved by using a continuous wave laser to subject said material for a time of about 1 femtosecond to 60 seconds to said laser, said laser having power of from about 1×108 W/cm2 to about 1×1016 W/cm2 over said time of about 1 femtosecond to 60 seconds.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein, said material comprises a film having a thickness of from about 0.1 nanometers to about 1 centimeter.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein, said material comprises a film having a thickness of from about 0.3 nanometers to about 10 micrometers.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein, said electrical and/or optical component is selected from the group consisting of an inductor, a capacitor, a resistor, a diode, a transistor, a trace, a battery, an optical filter, and a solar cell.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A process of making electrical device, an optical device or a combined electrical and optical device, said process comprising combining:
a) two or more electrical, an optical or a combined electrical and optical components produced according to the process of claim 1; or
b) at least one electrical, optical or combined electrical and optical component produced according to the process of claim 1, and one or more additional electrical, optical or combined electrical and optical components, said one or more additional electrical, optical or combined electrical and optical components are not produced according to the processes of claim 1.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

An electrical device, an optical device or a combined electrical and optical device:
a) on, within or on and within at least one material that comprises two or more regions that are amorphous, nanocrystalline, microcrystalline or crystalline with the proviso that at least two of said regions are not identical with respect being amorphous, nanocrystalline, microcrystalline or crystalline, said at least one material comprising a transition metal and an element selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, phosphorous and mixtures thereof; or
b) on, within or on and within at least one material that comprises at least one region that is amorphous, nanocrystalline, microcrystalline or crystalline, said at least one material comprising a transition metal and an element selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, phosphorous and mixtures thereof;
said electrical device, an optical device or a combined electrical and optical device being produced according to the process of claim 1.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said pattern illumination-based annealing results in a chemical change in at least one of said materials that results in an electrical component, an optical component or a combined electrical and optical component being created to form on, or within said material.

### Claim 16 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 wherein said single material is a single substrate or film, and said process provides multiple functions that are integrated on, within, or on and within said single substrate or film.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said pattern illumination-based annealing results in a change in the molecular composition in a region of at least one of said materials that results in an electrical component, an optical component or a combined electrical and optical component being formed on, within or on and within said material.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The process of claim 17 wherein the transition metal is Mo, and the element is oxygen, and the process forms different oxide phases MoO2 and MoO3 on, within, or on and within said material.