Patent · US Active

Laser beam micro-smoothing

US7723169B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by

2References

6Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Coherent, Inc. · US

Inventors

Holger Graefe · Oettingen, DE
Uwe Wiedenbruch · Worbis, DE
Thomas Schroeder · Oettingen, DE
Frank Simon · Oettingen, DE
Elko Bergmann · Oettingen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Feb 21, 2007
Grant date	May 25, 2010
Priority date	—
Expiry date	May 5, 2028

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH10D86/0229
WIPO fieldMachine tools
WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides laser beam micro-smoothing for laser annealing systems. Laser beam micro-smoothing comprises shifting a laser beam in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction (y) of a laser annealing system, while holding the laser beam fixed in the direction of scanning (x). The shifting may be accomplished, for example, with a pair of micro-smoothing mirrors. The shifting smoothes out small-scale inhomogeneities in the profile of the laser beam and prevents microscopic stripes associated with prior art laser annealing systems. Because the shifting occurs only in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction (y), the laser annealing process in not adversely affected.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.