Passivation processing over a memory link

A method of removing a passivation material overlying electrically conductive redundant memory or integrated circuit links positioned between respective pairs of electrically conductive contacts in a circuit fabricated on a substrate, each link having a link width, comprising:

• providing to a beam positioner beam positioning data representing one or more locations of electrically conductive links in the circuit, the beam positioner coordinating relative movement between a laser spot position and the substrate;
• generating, from a first laser, at least one first laser output pulse having a pulse width of between about 25 picoseconds and 30 nanoseconds during a first time interval that is shorter than about 1,000 nanoseconds, the first laser output pulse also having a first laser spot with a spot size that is greater than the link width;
• directing, in accordance with the beam positioning data, the first laser output pulse so that the first laser spot impinges a first location of an overlying passivation layer above a first electrically conductive link between first contacts;
• generating, from a second laser, at least one second laser output pulse having a pulse width of between about 25 picoseconds and 30 nanoseconds during the first time interval, the second laser output pulse also having a second laser spot with a spot size that is greater than the link width;
• directing, in accordance with the beam positioning data, the second laser output pulse so that the second laser spot impinges the first location of the overlying passivation layer above the first electrically conductive link such that the first and second laser spots substantially overlap and the first and second laser output pulses contribute to the removal of the overlying passivation layer above the first electrically conductive link;
• generating, from the first laser, at least one third laser output pulse having a pulse width of between about 25 picoseconds and 30 nanoseconds during a second time interval that is shorter than 1,000 nanoseconds and time-displaced from the first time interval, the third laser output pulse also having a third laser spot with a spot size that is greater than the link width;
• directing, in accordance with the beam positioning data, the third laser output pulse so that the third laser spot impinges a second location of an overlying passivation layer above a second electrically conductive link between second contacts that is distinct from the first location;
• generating, from the second laser, at least one fourth laser output pulse having a pulse width of between about 25 picoseconds and 30 nanoseconds during the second time interval, the fourth laser output pulse also having a fourth laser spot with a spot size that is greater than the link width;
• directing, in accordance with the beam positioning data, the fourth laser output pulse to impinge the second location of the overlying passivation layer above the second electrically conductive link such that the third and fourth laser spots substantially overlap and the third and fourth laser output pulses contribute to the removal of the overlying passivation layer above the second electrically conductive link, performing an etch process to remove the selected electrically conductive links spatially aligned depthwise with removed regions of the overlying passivation layer, and
• performing an etch process to remove the selected electrically conductive links spatially aligned depthwise with removed regions of the overlying passivation layer.

A method employing laser output pulses on-the-fly to process positions on an overlying passivation layer covering respective electrically conductive links lying spatially below the overlying passivation layer and in proximity to a neighboring passivation material that is susceptible to damage from the laser output pulses, the electricafly conductive links being positioned between respective pairs of electrically conductive contacts, and the overlying passivation layer comprising silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride, comprising:

• generating, from a laser, a first set of at least one laser output pulse during a first time interval, each of the laser output pulses in the first set having a pulse width duration of between about 0.05 picoseconds and 30 nanoseconds and the first set having a set width duration of shorter than 300 nanoseconds;
• directing, in response to beam positioning data, the first set to impinge a first region of the overlying passivation layer that is spatially aligned with a first electrically conductive link at a first location between first contacts, and at least one of the laser output pulses from the first set characterized by an energy distribution of that is sufficient to remove the first region of the overlying passivation layer and expose the first electrically conductive link but insufficient to sever the first link or damage the neighboring passivation material;
• generating, from the laser, a second set of at least one laser output pulse during a second time interval, each of the laser output pulses in the second set having a pulse width duration of between about 0.05 picoseconds and 30 nanoseconds and the second set having a set width duration of shorter than 300 nanoseconds;
• and
• directing, in response to beam positioning data, the second set to impinge a second region of the overlying pass ivation layer that is different from the first region and is spatially aligned with a second electrically conductive link at a second location between second contacts, and at least one of the laser output pulses from the second set being characterized by an energy distribution that is sufficient to remove the second region of the overlying passivation layer and expose the second electrically conductive link but insufficient to sever the second electrically conductive link or damage the neighboring passivation material.

A method of selectively removing a passivation material overlying electrically conductive redundant memory or integrated circuit links having associated link structures, each link having a link width and being positioned between an associated pair of electrically conductive contacts in a circuit fabricated on either a substrate or an optional underlying passivation layer between the electrically conductive link and the substrate, the substrate and any optional underlying passivation layer as associated with the link structures being characterized by respective laser damage thresholds, comprising:

• providing to a beam positioner beam positioning data representing one or more locations of electrically conductive links, the beam positioner in response to the beam positioning data imparting relative movement of a laser spot position to the substrate;
• generating for each selected link structure a set of two or more time-displaced laser output pulses, each of the laser output pulses in the set characterized by a laser spot having a spot size and energy characteristics at the laser spot position, at least two of the laser output pulses of the set having different energies and different peak powers, and the spot size being larger than the link width and the energy characteristics being below the respective laser damage thresholds of any underlying passivation layer and the substrate and insufficient to sever the link;
• and
• coordinating laser output pulse generation and the relative movement imparted by the beam positioner such that the relative movement is substantially continuous while the laser output pulses in the set sequentially strike the overlying passivation layer above the selected link structure so that the laser spot of each laser output pulse in the set encompasses the link width and the set removes the overlying passivation layer above the electrically conductive link without causing damage to any underlying passivation layer and the substrate.

A method of selectively removing a passivation material overlying electrically conductive redundant memory or integrated circuit links having associated link structures, each link having a link width and being positioned between an associated pair of electrically conductive contacts in a circuit fabricated on either a substrate or an optional underlying passivation layer between the electrically conductive link and the substrate, the substrate and any optional underlying passivation layer as associated with the link structures being characterized by respective laser damage thresholds, comprising:

• providing to a beam positioner beam positioning data representing one or more locations of electrically conductive links, the beam positioner in response to the beam positioning data imparting relative movement of a laser spot position to the substrate;
• generating for each selected link structure a set of two or more time-displaced laser output pulses, each of the laser output pulses in the set characterized by a laser spot having a spot size and energy characteristics at the laser spot position, the spot size being larger than the link width and the energy characteristics being below the respective laser damage thresholds of any underlying passivation layer and the substrate and insufficient to sever the link, and at least two of the laser pulses in the set having different spot sizes;
• and
• coordinating laser output pulse generation and the relative movement imparted by the beam positioner such that the relative movement is substantially continuous while the laser output pulses in the set sequentially strike the overlying passivation layer above the selected link structure so that the laser spot of each laser output pulse in the set encompasses the link width and the set removes the overlying passivation layer above the electrically conductive link without causing damage to any underlying passivation layer and the substrate.

A method of selectively removing a passivation material overlying electrically conductive redundant memory or integrated circuit links having associated link structures, each link having a link width and being positioned between an associated pair of electrically conductive contacts in a circuit fabricated on either a substrate or an optional underlying passivation layer between the electrically conductive link and the substrate, the substrate and any optional underlying passivation layer as associated with the link structures being characterized by respective laser damage thresholds, comprising:

• providing to a beam positioner beam positioning data representing one or more locations of electrically conductive links, the beam positioner in response to the beam positioning data imparting relative movement of a laser spot position to the substrate;
• generating for each selected link structure a set of two or more time-displaced laser output pulses, each of the laser output pulses in the set characterized by a laser spot having a spot size and energy characteristics at the laser spot position, the spot size being larger than the link width and the energy characteristics being below the respective laser damage thresholds of any underlying passivation layer and the substrate and insufficient to sever the link, and at least two of the laser output pulses in the set are generated by different types of lasers;
• and
• coordinating laser output pulse generation and the relative movement imparted by the beam positioner such that the relative movement is substantially continuous while the laser output pulses in the set sequentially strike the overlying passivation layer above the selected link structure so that the laser spot of each laser output pulse in the set encompasses the link width and the set removes the overlying passivation layer above the electrically conductive link without causing damage to any underlying passivation layer and the substrate.