A process for processing at least one portion of a thin film sample on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) controlling an irradiation beam generator to emit successive irradiation beam pulses at a predetermined repetition rate;
- (b) masking each of the irradiation beam pulses to define one or more first beamlets and one or more second beamlets, each of the first and second beamlets having two opposite edge sections and a center section;
- (c) irradiating one or more first areas of the film sample by the first beamlets so that the first areas are melted throughout their thickness, wherein at least one first section of the first areas irradiated by at least one particular beamlet of the first beamlets is allowed to re-solidify and crystallize thereby having grains grown therein, the at least one first section including at least one first resolidified area;
- (d) after step (c), irradiating one or more second areas of the film sample by the second beamlets of the irradiation beam pulses so that the second areas are melted throughout their thickness, wherein at least one second section of the second areas irradiated by at least one subsequent beamlet is allowed to re-solidify and crystallize thereby having grains grown therein, the at least one second section including at least one second resolidified area irradiated by at least one of the edge sections of the subsequent beamlet which overlaps the at least one first resolidified area, wherein artifacts are substantially reduced and eliminated upon the resolidification of the at least one second section of the second area;
- wherein the edge sections of each of the first and second beamlets are a front section and a rear section, wherein the at least one first resolidified area is irradiated by the rear section of the particular beamlet, and wherein the at least one second resolidified area is irradiated by the front section of the subsequent beamlet, and
- wherein the rear section of at least one particular beamlet has a width for a substantial length thereof which is smaller than a width of the center section of the at least one particular beamlet, and wherein the front section of at least one subsequent beamlet of the second beamlets has a width for a substantial length thereof which is smaller than a width of the center section of the subsequent beamlet.