Laser processing of a thin film
AssigneeKaneka Corporation
InventorsTakayuki Suzuki, Masataka Kondo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for processing a workpiece having a thin film layer using laser pulses generated by a plurality of lasers. The lasers are equipped with Q-switches and triggered by a Q-switch trigger device at controlled pulse frequencies and delays with respect to one another. The laser pulses from the plurality of lasers are directed to the same processing spot on the workpiece to generate a combined laser beam, and the workpiece is moved relative to the laser beam to process the thin film with the laser pulses. The method and apparatus increase the processing speed and accomplish multiple-step processing in a single pass. Application of the invention in the fabrication of thin film solar cells is described.
Claims23
A laser processing method for processing a thin film formed on a surface of a workpiece, comprising:
- irradiating laser pulses on the thin film to at least partially remove the thin film from the surface of the workpiece, the laser pulses having wavelengths within the absorption range of the thin film, wherein the laser pulses are generated by a plurality of laser generators having Q-switches, wherein the laser pulses from the plurality of laser generators are directed by an optical system onto substantially the same spot on a plane defined by the surface of the workpiece, and wherein the Q-switches of the plurality of lasers are operated in a synchronized manner and the timing of the pulse generation of the plurality of lasers is adjustable relative to each other.
An apparatus for processing a thin film formed on a surface of a workpiece, comprising:
- a plurality of laser generators having Q-switches for generating laser pulses;
- a Q-switch trigger device coupled to the laser generators for triggering the laser generators and controlling the timing of the pulse generation of the laser generators;
- and
- an optical system for directing the pulses generated by the plurality of laser generators onto substantially the same spot on a plane defined by the surface of the workpiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.