Method of laser processing ferroelectric materials

A method of laser annealing a region of a thin film ferroelectric precursor to form a thin film ferroelectric material comprising:

• placing said thin film ferroelectric precursor in an appropriate processing chamber;
• contacting said thin film ferroelectric precursor with a suitable ambient;
• preheating said region of said thin film ferroelectric precursor to provide a thermal pretreatment to prevent volatilization and ablation thereof;
• providing a beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region;
• and
• illuminating said region of said thin film ferroelectric precursor in said suitable ambient with said beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region with sufficient fluence to allow solid state diffusion of said precursor into the ferroelectric phase to effect said annealing of said region of said precursor to form said thin film ferroelectric material without damage to adjacent or underlying materials, in which said pretreatment being above 100.degree. C. in vacuum for duration for at least one hour.

A method of laser annealing a region of a thin film ferroelectric precursor to form a thin film ferroelectric material comprising:

• placing said thin film ferroelectric precursor in an appropriate processing chamber;
• contacting said thin film ferroelectric precursor with a suitable ambient;
• preheating said region of said thin film ferroelectric precursor to provide a thermal pretreatment to prevent volatilization and ablation thereof;
• providing a beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region;
• and
• illuminating said region of said thin film ferroelectric precursor in said suitable ambient with said beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region with sufficient fluence to allow solid state diffusion of said precursor into the ferroelectric phase to effect said annealing of said region of said precursor to form said thin film ferroelectric material without damage to adjacent or underlying materials, in which the step of illuminating with UV laser light being repeated to effect a desired depth of annealing in said thin film ferroelectric precursor and in which said pretreatment being above 100.degree. C. in vacuum for duration for at least one hour.

A method of laser annealing a region of a thin film ferroelectric precursor to form a thin film ferroelectric material comprising:

• placing said thin film ferroelectric precursor in an appropriate processing chamber;
• contacting said thin film ferroelectric precursor with a suitable ambient;
• preheating said region of said thin film ferroelectric precursor to provide a thermal pretreatment to prevent volatilization and ablation thereof;
• providing a beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region;
• and
• illuminating said region of said thin film ferroelectric precursor in said suitable ambient with said beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region with sufficient fluence to allow solid state diffusion of said precursor into the ferroelectric phase to effect said annealing of said region of said precursor to form said thin film ferroelectric material without damage to adjacent or underlying materials, in which said thermal pretreatment being above 300.degree. C. for duration for at least one hour in a gaseous ambient.

A method of laser annealing a region of a thin film ferroelectric precursor to form a thin film ferroelectric material comprising:

• placing said thin film ferroelectric precursor in an appropriate processing chamber;
• contacting said thin film ferroelectric precursor with a suitable ambient;
• preheating said region of said thin film ferroelectric precursor to provide a thermal pretreatment to prevent volatilization and ablation thereof;
• providing a beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region;
• and
• illuminating said region of said thin film ferroelectric precursor in said suitable ambient with said beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region with sufficient fluence to allow solid state diffusion of said precursor into the ferroelectric phase to effect said annealing of said region of said precursor to form said thin film ferroelectric material without damage to adjacent or underlying materials, in which the step of illuminating with UV laser light being repeated to effect a desired depth of annealing in said thin film ferroelectric precursor and in which said thermal pretreatment being above 300.degree. C. for duration for at least one hour in a gaseous ambient.

A method of laser annealing a region of a thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor to form a thin film ferroelectric material comprising:

• placing said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor in an appropriate processing chamber;
• contacting said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor with a suitable ambient;
• preheating said region of said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor to provide a thermal pretreatment to prevent volatilization and ablation of said sol-gel precursor;
• providing a beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region;
• and
• illuminating said region of said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor in said suitable ambient with said beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region with sufficient fluence to densify said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor and allow solid state diffusion of said sol-gel precursor into the ferroelectric phase to effect said annealing of said region of said sol-gel precursor to form said thin film ferroelectric material without damage to adjacent or underlying materials, in which said thermal pretreatment being above 100.degree. C. in vacuum for duration for at least one hour.

A method of laser annealing a region of a thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor to form a thin film ferroelectric material comprising:

• placing said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor in an appropriate processing chamber;
• contacting said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor with a suitable ambient;
• preheating said region of said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor to provide a thermal pretreatment to prevent volatilization and ablation of said sol-gel precursor;
• providing a beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region;
• and
• illuminating said region of said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor in said suitable ambient with said beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region with sufficient fluence to densify said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor and allow solid state diffusion of said sol-gel precursor into the ferroelectric phase to effect said annealing of said region of said sol-gel precursor to form said thin film ferroelectric material without damage to adjacent or underlying materials, in which said thermal pretreatment being above 100.degree. C. in vacuum for duration for at least one hour.

A method of laser annealing a region of a thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor to form a thin film ferroelectric material comprising:

• placing said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor in an appropriate processing chamber;
• contacting said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor with a suitable ambient;
• preheating said region of said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor to provide a thermal pretreatment to prevent volatilization and ablation of said sol-gel precursor;
• providing a beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region;
• and
• illuminating said region of said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor in said suitable ambient with said beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region with sufficient fluence to densify said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor and allow solid state diffusion of said sol-gel precursor into the ferroelectric phase to effect said annealing of said region of said sol-gel precursor to form said thin film ferroelectric material without damage to adjacent or underlying materials, in which said thermal pretreatment being above 300.degree. C. for duration for at least one hour in a gaseous ambient.

A method of laser annealing a region of a thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor to form a thin film ferroelectric material comprising:

• placing said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor in an appropriate processing chamber;
• contacting said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor with a suitable ambient;
• preheating said region of said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor to provide a thermal pretreatment to prevent volatilization and ablation of said sol-gel precursor;
• providing a beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region;
• and
• illuminating said region of said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor in said suitable ambient with said beam of UV laser light having a substantially flat homogenized-intensity-profile response that is shaped to cover said region with sufficient fluence to densify said thin film ferroelectric sol-gel precursor and allow solid state diffusion of said sol-gel precursor into the ferroelectric phase to effect said annealing of said region of said sol-gel precursor to form said thin film ferroelectric material without damage to adjacent or underlying materials, in which the step of illuminating with pulsed laser light is repeated to effect a desired depth of annealing in said thin film ferroelectric said sol-gel precursor and in which said thermal pretreatment being above 300.degree. C. for duration for at least one hour in a gaseous ambient.