Systems and methods for processing semiconductor structures using laser pulses laterally distributed in a scanning window
AssigneeElectro Scientific Industries, Inc.
InventorsKelly J. Bruland, Mark A. Unrath, Douglas E. Holmgren
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Abstract
Systems and methods process structures on or within a semiconductor substrate using a series of laser pulses. In one embodiment, a deflector is configured to selectively deflect the laser pulses within a processing window. The processing window is scanned over the semiconductor substrate such that a plurality of laterally spaced rows of structures simultaneously pass through the processing window. As the processing window is scanned, the deflector selectively deflects the series of laser pulses among the laterally spaced rows within the processing window. Thus, multiple rows of structures may be processed in a single scan.
Claims17
A method for processing structures on or within a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:
- providing a series of laser pulses to a first deflector configured to selectively deflect the laser pulses within a processing window;
- scanning the processing window over the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of laterally spaced rows of structures simultaneously passing through the processing window as the processing window is scanned;
- and
- selectively deflecting the series of laser pulses among the plurality of laterally spaced rows within the processing window,
- wherein, as the processing window is scanned over the semiconductor substrate in a scan direction, a first laser pulse is deflected to a first row of the laterally spaced rows and a second laser pulse is deflected to a second row of the laterally spaced rows, the second laser pulse being subsequent to the first laser pulse in the series of laser pulses,
- wherein, with respect to the scan direction, the second laser pulse is deflected in a reverse direction and laterally, and
- wherein the second laser pulse is deflected to the second row within 100 μs after the first laser pulse is deflected to the first row.
A method for processing structures on or within a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:
- providing a series of laser pulses to a deflector configured to selectively deflect the laser pulses within a processing window;
- scanning the processing window over the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of structures simultaneously passing through the processing window as the processing window is scanned;
- and
- as the processing window is scanned over the semiconductor substrate in a first direction, selectively deflecting a first laser pulse to a first structure and a second laser pulse to a second structure within the processing window, the second laser pulse being subsequent to the first laser pulse,
- wherein the second laser pulse is deflected in at least a second direction that is in a reverse direction with respect to the first direction,
- wherein selectively deflecting further comprises deflecting the second laser pulse in a third direction with respect to the semiconductor substrate, and wherein the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction;
- and
- wherein the second laser pulse is deflected to the second structure within 100 μs after the first laser pulse is deflected to the first structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.