Method and system for high-speed, precise micromachining an array of devices

Abstract

A method and system for high-speed, precise micromachining an array of devices are disclosed wherein improved process throughput and accuracy, such as resistor trimming accuracy, are provided. Beam scanning and deflection are both used to distribute beam spots to elements of an array of elements for selective processing. The deflection can be performed with a solid state deflector.

1 . A method of precisely cutting selected substantially identical conductive circuit elements in an array of such elements arranged in multiple rows and columns on a substrate, the cutting selectively removing material from the selected elements, the method comprising:
 initiating laser beam positioning in a sequential or a parallel processing mode, generating at least one pulsed laser output beam; and   irradiating the selected substantially identical conductive circuit elements, the step of irradiating comprising:   in the sequential processing mode, deflecting and focusing the laser output beam to produce a distribution pattern of multiple focused beams sequentially to each of a plurality of selected elements of the array, and;   in the parallel processing mode, spatially splitting and focusing the laser output beam to produce a distribution pattern of multiple focused beams simultaneously to each of a plurality of selected elements of the array, and;   wherein the steps of deflecting and splitting are carried out, at least in part, with at least one solid-state deflector, wherein at least one focused beam impinges each selected element, and wherein at least one deflected pulse or one split pulse selectively and accurately cuts each selected element.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of spatially splitting and focusing the laser output beam distributes the multiple focused beams in overlapping time intervals so that all the multiple beams impinge each element substantially simultaneously. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of deflecting and focusing the laser output beam distributes the multiple focused beams in non-overlapping time intervals so that one beam impinges each element sequentially. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising causing the multiple focused beams to impinge an element during both overlapping and non-overlapping time intervals whereby the cutting is a combination of parallel and sequential cutting. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of deflecting and splitting are carried out with a multi-beam generator comprising the at least one solid-state deflector and an electromechanical scanner. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the solid-state deflector is a 2D solid-state deflector. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the electromechanical scanner is a 2D galvanometer based mirror scanner. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating laser beam positioning comprises programming a solid-state deflector with processing commands to either deflect the laser output sequentially or to split the laser output and deflect multiple beams simultaneously. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein programming comprises generating control signals and controlling a signal generator in response to the control signals to generate one on more frequencies corresponding with locations in the distribution pattern. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the electromechanical scanner provides a linear scan with a stage driven apparatus. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the electromechanical scanner comprises a deflection mirror and stage driven apparatus, wherein the deflection mirror provides stage motion compensation. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the deflector provides fast jumps to thereby increase the effective linear scan rate. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising orienting the distribution pattern into a selected orientation. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the steps of selectively cutting includes relatively positioning a laser beam to travel in a first direction within a field of the array and selectively irradiating at least a portion of at least one element within the field with at least one laser pulse. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising generating and relatively positioning a laser beam to travel in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction within the field and selectively irradiating at least a second portion of at least one element within the field with at least one laser pulse. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the steps of selectively cutting includes the steps of generating and relatively positioning a laser beam to travel in a first scanning pattern across the devices, superimposing a second scanning pattern with the first scanning pattern and irradiating at least one element with at least one laser pulse. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising irradiating for a second time elements previously irradiated by a first laser beam. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining a sequence of non-adjacent cuts based on an advantageous thermal management. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising focusing multiple beams with a common scan lens. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of initiating comprises switching an optical beam path between optical elements configured provide a single beam or optical elements configured to provide multiple beams. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of deflecting and splitting are carried out with a multi-beam generator, the step of splitting further comprising deflecting each of the multiple beams, said multi-beam generator providing predetermined pulse energy in each deflected beam. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein deflection of sequential beams in a distribution pattern of beams comprises fast jumps across gaps between elements of the array. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the elements are resistors. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the elements are links.