International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Peter P Longo

Alfred Wagner

Richard Alan Haight

Daniel Peter Morris

A laser apparatus for use in a surgical procedure is disclosed including a housing forming a part of a handpiece and including interior and exterior regions, a laser cavity extending within the interior region of the housing, at least a portion of an operating laser element positioned with the interior region of the housing for generating an operating beam, and a controller to control a focal position of the operating beam to a location above the plane of the tissue for ablation of the tissue by laser induced breakdown thereof.

Laser surgical apparatus and methods of its use minimizing damage during the ablation of tissue using a focused ultrashort pulsed laser beam wherein the slope of fluence breakdown is a function of the pulse width

A method of minimizing the deposition of debris onto a sample being ablated. The method comprises: 1) reducing a laser pulse energy to approximately a threshold level for ablation; 2) focusing the energy using an immersion object lens having a final element and 3) ablating a region of the sample using a multitude of laser pulses, each pulse being sufficiently separated in time to reduce a concentration of ablation products in a gas phase.

Debris minimization and improved spatial resolution in pulsed laser ablation of materials

One exemplary aspect of this invention pertains to a method to evaluate an image processing algorithm. The method includes varying a parameter of a model of an imaging system and, for each variation of the parameter, calculating with a data processor a corresponding image of a sample; applying an image processing algorithm to the calculated corresponding images of the sample; and determining an ability of the image processing algorithm to detect the variation in the parameter.

Evaluation of image processing algorithms

In one aspect the invention provides a method for laser induced breakdown of a material with a pulsed laser beam where the material is characterized by a relationship of fluence breakdown threshold (Fth) versus laser beam pulse width (T) that exhibits an abrupt, rapid, and distinct change or at least a clearly detectable and distinct change in slope at a predetermined laser pulse width value. The method comprises generating a beam of laser pulses in which each pulse has a pulse width equal to or less than the predetermined laser pulse width value. The beam is focused above the surface of a material where laser induced breakdown is desired. The region of least confusion (minimum beam waist or average spot size) is above the surface of the material in which laser induced breakdown is desired since the intensity of the beam falls off in the forward direction, preferably the region of the beam at or within the surface is between the region of least confusion and sufficient to remove material and the minimum intensity necessary for laser induced breakdown of the material to be removed, most preferably the region of minimum intensity is disposed at the surface of the material to be removed. The beam may be used in combination with a mask in the beam path. The beam or mask may be moved in the x, y, and Z directions to produce desired features. The technique can produce features smaller than the spot size and Rayleigh range due to enhanced damage threshold accuracy in the short pulse regime.

Method for minimizing sample damage during the ablation of a first biological material disposed on a second biological material using a focused ultrashort pulsed laser beam wherein the slope of fluence breakdown is a function of the pulse width

A method of enhancing the quality of laser ablation by controlling the laser repetition rate during the ablation process, wherein the method enhances the quality of laser ablation of a photomask in order to improve the optical quality thereof. Also provided is a system employing the method of enhancing the quality of laser ablation.

Enhanced quality of laser ablation by controlling laser repetition rate

A method and an apparatus of minimizing the deposition of debris onto a sample being ablated. The method comprising the steps of: 1) reducing a laser pulse energy to approximately a threshold level for ablation; and 2) ablating a region of the sample using a multitude of laser pulses, each pulse being sufficiently separated in time to reduce a concentration of ablation products in a gas phase. An apparatus for ablating a region of a sample with a laser beam. The apparatus comprises: 1) a source providing a pulsed laser beam of a certain energy, the source focusing the laser beam on the sample to ablate a region of the sample; and 2) a device for providing a flowing fluid over the region being ablated to remove the ablation products.

A method of selectively ablating an undesired material from a substrate includes providing a substrate with two regions; providing laser pulses; tuning a wavelength of the laser pulses to match a desired wavelength characteristic of a material and directing the tuned laser pulses onto the substrate; and controlling a pulse duration, wavelength, or both, of the laser pulses to ablate the undesired material without damaging the substrate or any adjacent material. In another embodiment, an apparatus for repairing a defect on a reflective photomask includes a femtosecond pulse width laser; a harmonic conversion cell; a filter for passing a selected EUV harmonic of the laser light; a lens arrangement configured to direct the selected EUV harmonic of the laser light onto the photomask; and a control unit connected to the laser to control an ablation of the defect on the reflective photomask.

Method and apparatus for repair of reflective photomasks

Method for minimizing sample damage during the ablation of material using a focused ultrashort pulsed laser beam

An element is deposited by flowing a gas through a solid donor compound that includes the element, and over a substrate. The flow of gas deposits a film of a few monolayers of donor compound on the substrate. An optical radiation source (e.g., a femtosecond laser) which produces optical radiation at an instantaneous intensity sufficient to cause non linear or otherwise enhanced interaction between optical radiation photons and the donor compound is used to decompose the donor compound and deposit the metal on the substrate. After an initial deposit of the donor compound is produced, optical radiation can be absorbed and heat the substrate in the localized area of the deposit in order to accelerate the deposition process by thermally decomposing the donor compound.

Method and apparatus for performing laser CVD

A system and method for repairing defects in semiconductor wafers utilizing a repair tool including a device for applying energy to obliterate defects at locations on the wafer, the method being a graphical approach implementing a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a pixel screen display and comprising the steps of: via the interface, identifying a wafer defect to repair and enclosing the defect within a polygonal repair outline drawn using a default line thickness; graphically adjusting the line thickness to modify the enclosed polygonal repair outline area; automatically detecting one or more areas within an interior region of the modified polygonal repair outline area; and, scanning the modified polygonal repair outline, and for each pixel location inside the one or more detected areas, applying energy to the wafer coordinated to the pixel location for repairing the defect, whereby the identification of said pixel location is accomplished using standard graphical tools with minimal operator intervention.

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Hopewell Junction, NY, United States of America

Peter P Longo