Method and apparatus for modifying an intensity profile of a coherent photonic beam
US7847213B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 11, 2007 |
| Grant date | Dec 7, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 18, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB23K2101/40
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A coherent beam source, e.g., a laser having a cavity that is unstable in at least one direction, is used to produce a coherent beam having an initial intensity profile. The beam is passed through a relay having a Fourier plane containing a spatial filter that serves as a radiation defining mask. The filter has an aperture size and shape effective to modify the beam such that the modified beam forms an image on a substrate. The to image has an intensity profile that more closely approximates a super-Gaussian profile than the initial profile. For example, when the initial intensity profile is Gaussian, the spatial filter may allow passage of only unattenuated the central core of the beam and block completely blocks the wings of the Guassian profile. The modified beam may be more suitable for use in a scanning system used to anneal wafers or other substrates containing integrated circuits.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.