Ceramic materials are used extensively in the microelectronics, semiconductor, and LED lighting industries because of their electrically insulating and thermally conductive properties, as well as for their high-temperature-service capabilities. However, their brittleness presents significant challenges for conventional machining processes. In this paper we report on a series of experiments that demonstrate and characterize the efficacy of pulsed nanosecond UV and green lasers in machining ceramics commonly used in microelectronics manufacturing, such as aluminum oxide (alumina) and aluminum nitride. With a series of laser pocket milling experiments, fundamental volume ablation rate and ablation efficiency data were generated. In addition, techniques for various industrial machining processes, such as shallow scribing and deep scribing, were developed and demonstrated. We demonstrate that lasers with higher average powers offer higher processing rates with the one exception of deep scribes in aluminum nitride, where a lower average power but higher pulse energy source outperformed a higher average power laser.
The application of thin borosilicate glass as interposer material requires methods for separation and drilling of this material. Laser processing with short and ultra-short laser pulses have proven to enable high quality cuts by either direct ablation or internal glass modification and cleavage. A recently developed high power UV nanosecond laser source allows for pulse shaping of individual laser pulses. Thus, the pulse duration, pulse bursts and the repetition rate can be set individually at a maximum output power of up to 60 W. This opens a completely new process window, which could not be entered with conventional Q-switched pulsed laser sources. In this study, the novel pulsed UV laser system was used to study the laser ablation process on 400 μm thin borosilicate glass at different pulse durations ranging from 2 – 10 ns and a pulse burst with two 10 ns laser pulses with a separation of 10 ns. Single line scan experiments were performed to correlate the process parameters and the laser pulse shape with the ablation depth and cutting edge chipping. Increasing the pulse duration within the single pulse experiments from 2 ns to longer pulse durations led to a moderate increase in ablation depth and a significant increase in chipping. The highest material removal was achieved with the 2x10 ns pulse burst. Experimental data also suggest that chipping could be reduced, while maintaining a high ablation depth by selecting an adequate pulse overlap. We also demonstrate that real-time combination of different pulse patterns during drilling a thin borosilicate glass produced holes with low overall chipping at a high throughput rate.
Since their introduction in 1986, stents have transformed the treatment of coronary heart disease and other arterial occlusions. Today, millions of stents are implanted worldwide each year to treat various vascular and endovascular diseases caused by the narrowing or blockage of blood vessels. Nearly all commercially available stents are made from metals. Theses stents remain in the vessels permanently after implantation and are prone to cause serious medical complications in many cases. One potential solution to avoid such complications is to use stents made out of bioabsorbable materials. Bio-absorbable stents dissolves in the human body after serving their purpose. However, machining of bio-absorbable material is a challenging task. In this paper the influence of the laser process parameters on the efficiency and quality of the machining of bio-absorbable materials using Spirit® femtosecond laser system from Spectra-Physics is presented.
Increasing demand for creating fine features with high accuracy in manufacturing of electronic mobile devices has fueled growth for lasers in manufacturing. High power, high repetition rate ultraviolet (UV) lasers provide an opportunity to implement a cost effective high quality, high throughput micromachining process in a 24/7 manufacturing environment. The energy available per pulse and the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of diode pumped solid state (DPSS) nanosecond UV lasers have increased steadily over the years. Efficient use of the available energy from a laser is important to generate accurate fine features at a high speed with high quality. To achieve maximum material removal and minimal thermal damage for any laser micromachining application, use of the optimal process parameters including energy density or fluence (J/cm2), pulse width, and repetition rate is important. In this study we present a new high power, high PRF QuasarR 355-40 laser from Spectra-Physics with TimeShiftTM technology for unique software adjustable pulse width, pulse splitting, and pulse shaping capabilities. The benefits of these features for micromachining include improved throughput and quality. Specific example and results of silicon scribing are described to demonstrate the processing benefits of the Quasar’s available power, PRF, and TimeShift technology.
Due to current and future anticipated widespread use of thin silicon wafers in the microelectronics industry, there is a
large and growing interest in laser-based wafer dicing solutions. As the wafers become thinner, the laser advantage over
saw dicing increases in terms of both the speed and yield of the process. Furthermore, managing the laser heat input
during the dicing process becomes more important with increasingly thin wafers and with increasingly narrow saw
streets. In this work, shaped-beam laser-cutting of thin (100 μm and below) silicon is explored with Newport / Spectra-
Physics Pulseo 20-W nanosecond-pulse 355-nm DPSS q-switched laser system. Optimal process conditions for
cutting various depths in silicon are determined, with particular emphasis on fluence optimization for a narrow-kerf
cutting process. By shaping the laser beam into a line focus, the optimal fluence for machining the silicon can be
achieved while at the same time utilizing the full output power of the laser source. In addition, by adjusting the length of
the laser line focus, the absolute fastest speed for various cutting depths is realized. Compared to a circular beam, a
dramatic improvement in process efficiency is observed.
KEYWORDS: Amorphous silicon, Thin films, Glasses, Thin film solar cells, Pulsed laser operation, Laser damage threshold, Photovoltaics, Solar energy, Solar cells, Thin film devices
The removal of thin films widely used in photovoltaics as (transparent) electrodes (e.g. SnO2, molybdenum) or solar
absorber (e.g. amorphous silicon) materials is studied experimentally using multi-kHz diode-pumped solid state lasers in
the visible and infrared spectral region. The film processing (or what is commonly known as P1, P2, or P3 laser scribing)
is performed through the film-supporting glass plate of several millimeter thickness by using a galvo laser scanner setup
equipped with f-theta optics. The dependence of the film removal fluence threshold on the laser pulse duration (~8 ns to
~40 ns) is investigated systematically for two different laser wavelengths of 532 nm and 1064 nm. The laser-scribing of
continuous lines suitable for thin-film solar cell production is demonstrated successfully at scribe speeds on the order of
meters per second. The experimental results are discussed on the basis of laser ablation models considering optical,
geometrical, and thermal material properties and are additionally supported by numerical simulations.
It has been shown that micromachining of polymer materials using mode-locked, high repetition rate, 355nm picosecond
lasers is more efficient in respect to ablation rates and processing speeds, than using q-switched lasers at the same
wavelength and same average power level. In this study we present a systematic comparison of application results
obtained with q-switched nanosecond and mode-locked picosecond ultraviolet (UV) lasers. From the results, guidelines
are derived as to which laser type to use for best results depending upon material type and thickness. Additionally, recent
results obtained using a high power mode-locked UV picosecond laser - the PanteraTM - are described, along with
implications of how scaled-up power can significantly enhance processing efficiency in manufacturing environments.
It has been shown that micromachining of polyimide using a mode-locked high repetition rate, 80 MHz, 355nm laser is more efficient than the q-switched laser at same wavelength and same power level in terms of material removal rate. In this study we have explored and characterized the benefits of using high repetition rate, high average power, 355 nm mode-locked and q-switched lasers for micromachining of various microelectronics packaging materials that have different thermal properties. The removal rate and quality of machining have been analyzed against the difference in thermal properties of the material. The implications of the results observed are also discussed from practical manufacturing perspective.
Using an innovative approach based on Yb:fiber amplifiers and pre-shaped pulsed diode seeders, a unique laser source with tunable pulse duration and rectangular pulse shape has been developed. Based on the patented use of multimode fibers with single-mode output, the resultant system provides pulses adjustable between 4 and 20 ns duration with sharp rise times of < 1.5 ns, at a repetition rate of up to 20 kHz. The output pulse energy of > 15 microJoules can be maintained over the full tuning range. The high-quality output beam is coupled into a polarization-maintaining, single-mode delivery fiber for ease of integration into an application. With this "tailorable" pulse design, control of laser energy deposition in very confined laser interaction zones (by pulse shape), and of its dosage (by pulse duration) can be optimized by the user and adjusted in real-time from the laser controller in response to measured structural changes. Results of machining of materials such as Si, Cr on glass and drilling of Cu/Pl/Cu are presented, showing the unique capability of this laser and its advantageous use to ablate, structure, repair, or trim very small areas (down to sub-micron size) without damaging or influencing the underlying and/or neighboring structures.
On the basis of highly efficient Yb:fiber amplifiers, a new technology platform for compact and nearly maintenance-free laser sources from the femtosecond to the nanosecond time scale has been developed, allowing their application-customized use in industrial laser material processing. The core of this technology is the patented use of multimode fibers with TEM00 output characteristics, enabling high and efficient amplification while maintaining high quality of the output beam. First, we review the fiber laser amplifier developments in the femtosecond pulse regime. Then, we present for the first time a picosecond seed source, Yb fiber amplifier laser design. Next, we present a completely new laser seeder/amplifier design, enabling online temporal tuning of laser pulses between 4 and 20 ns without changing pulse energy by utilizing high-speed control circuitry to adjust pulse duration, repetition rate and pulse energy independently. Pulse length can be optimized to process a given dimension of a sample structure that needs to be modified. Pulse shape can be controlled to produce almost rectangular pulses with <1.5 ns rise times. The resultant pulses can be transported by a polarization-maintaining delivery fiber for easy integration and use in material processing applications. Finally, we describe a few examples of micromachining using pulses from this new, flexible, fiber-based nanosecond laser source.
We describe novel designs for production of laser pulses from the nanosecond to the femtosecond regime which allow optimization to specific material processing requirements. These lasers are based on use of multimode Yb:fiber amplifiers (MM YDFA) to provide microJoule-level output in a single-mode beam. First, we present laser designs based on MM YDFA that produce 10 kHz - 5 MHz pulses of picosecond and femtosecond duration. Next, by seeding a MM YDFA with pre-shaped nanosecond laser diode seed pulses, we have created a laser that provides temporally nearly-rectangular output pulses. The duration is adjustable between 4 and 20 ns, with sharp rise times of <1.5 ns, and repetition rate of up to 20 kHz. Output pulse energy of >15 microJoules is maintained over the full tuning range. With this "tailorable" pulse design, control of laser energy deposition in confined laser interaction zones (“dosage”) can be user-optimized in real-time from the controller. For example, in biomedical microelectronics and other applications where the creation of micron-size features (in width and in depth) is required the user can adjust dosage in response to meas-ured structural changes over the material. Results of Si wafer and other material micromachining using this unique tem-porally-tailored pulsed laser are presented.
The development of ultrashort pulse laser technology will have a strong impact on the advancement of laser machining. Ultrashort laser pulses can reduce the heat-affected zone and the shock-affected zone, resulting in much cleaner cuts, and therefore higher precision. Also, ultrashort laser pulses have shown remarkable opportunity for processing transparent materials such as glass, fused silica, and sapphire. However, acceptance of ultrafast technology is hindered by the size, cost, and complexity of ultrafast lasers. In this paper, we describe recent progress in fiber- based ultrafast laser technology which promises to be sufficiently compact, rugged, and potentially low-cost.
Today multichip modules (MCMs) have found applications in a variety of fields including computers, telecommunication, automotive industry, and medical diagnosis devices. Lasers are being used as a processing tool for fabricating high density multilevel thin film packages for MCMs. The two most commonly practiced laser processes for multilevel thin film packaging are, laser via ablation and laser based circuit repair processes. Laser via ablation is used for creating via holes in polyimide to provide vertical connection between two adjacent layers of multilevel thin film. It is a dry, precise, and highly robust patterning technology available today in packaging industry. The three major aspects of via ablation technology are ablation process, mask technology, and tooling. IBM has pioneered the laser via ablation technology and has developed all three aspects to use it as a primary technology for via formation for thin film packages. Laser based circuit repair processes have also been developed to a mature state where they are being used on a routine basis to repair circuits in multilevel thin film packages. The need for repair of circuit arises for variety of reasons including, contamination, yield improvement, to accommodate engineering changes or to correct design errors. The commonly practiced laser based repair processes are deleting metal shorts using a laser, depositing metal using laser chemical vapor deposition technique, and stitching metal lines using laser sonic bonding technique.
Excimer laser projection ablation is a dry, precise patterning process in which an intense beam of ultraviolet light from an excimer laser is used to directly pattern a material. This technique has been used in industrial applications for patterning both organic and inorganic materials. In the manufacturing of microelectronics devices, laser ablation is used extensively to pattern insulating layers in the multi- level thin film packages. Excimer laser projection ablation is very similar to optical projection lithography, both using a photomask or reticle which contains a master pattern. The mask used in a 1X projection laser ablation tool, however, must withstand significantly higher energy densities than conventional photolithographic masks. A number of mask technologies have been developed specifically for 1X excimer laser projection ablation. These masks include dielectric layers on quartz masks, thick films of aluminum on quartz masks, binary phase shifted grating masks and holographic masks. This paper presents a review of these mask types. Critical issues such as fabrication processes, advantages and disadvantages, cost and availability of each mask are discussed.
Excimer laser projection ablation is a dry patterning process in which an intense beam of ultraviolet light from an excimer laser is used to directly pattern a material. This technique has been used extensively in the microelectronics industry for patterning both organic and inorganic materials. Excimer laser projection ablation requires the use of a mask which is similar to a conventional 1X photomask. The laser ablation mask must withstand significantly higher energy densities than conventional photolithographic masks. A dielectric mask structure which consists of a quartz substrate coated with a stack of dielectric thin films has been developed for this process. Although the dielectric mask has been used successfully in a manufacturing environment, it suffers from the disadvantages of a complex fabrication process and high cost. Alternatives to the dielectric mask have been explored and a new mask has been developed which consists of an aluminum film on a quartz substrate. This mask meets the requirements for the laser ablation process and has the advantage of a low cost fabrication process which is similar to conventional chrome on quartz photomasks. The mask development, specifications, fabrication and results are discussed.
Laser ablation is used as a dry patterning process in which an intense beam of light from an excimer laser is used to directly pattern a material. The laser ablation patterning process is relatively new and has many advantages such as low cost and high throughput. This process has found extensive applications in the microelectronics industry for patterning of polymer materials. A typical laser ablation tool is very similar to a conventional optical wafer stepper, consisting of an illumination source, optics, mask and a substrate. The primary difference is the wavelength and the intensity of the light used in the ablation process. Conventional chromium coated quartz masks are incompatible with laser ablation due to a low damage threshold. This paper discusses a mask technology which has been developed specifically for excimer laser ablation. The mask fabrication processes and results are discussed.
Dielectric masks are one of several types of masks used for high energy excimer laser ablation. Excimer laser ablation is a process used to directly pattern materials without the use of resists or wet processing. The dielectric masks are formed from a multilayer stack of dielectric films deposited on a quartz substrate. These masks have low reflectivity in visible light, and the dielectric stack thickness ranges from 0.4 micrometer to 1.0 micrometer to achieve an optimum reflectivity for a specific application. These properties present the most significant challenges in the inspection and quality assurance of dielectric masks. This paper discusses the methods of critical dimension measurement and defect inspection that have been developed for dielectric laser ablation masks. Printability of defects and the application of a unique scanning inspection tool which uses ultraviolet light are discussed. Manufacturing performance data also are presented.
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