Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a substrate comprises first and second lasers, and first and second optical fibers each having an input end and an output end opposite to the input end, wherein the input ends of the first and second optical fibers are connected to the first and second lasers respectively. The output ends of the first and second optical fibers are movable relative to the substrate and are configured to image first and second laser beams onto the substrate simultaneously for cutting the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus for radiatively scribing a planar semiconductor substrate along a scribelane that extends between opposing rows of semiconductor devices on a target surface of the substrate. The scribelane extends parallel to a first direction parallel to a second direction, these first and second directions lying respectively parallel to X and Y axes of a Cartesian coordinate system. Such an apparatus may include an illuminator for producing an array of light beams; a projection system for focusing the light beams onto the target surface; an actuator system for causing relative displacement of a substrate holder with respect to light beams parallel to an XY plane; and an adjustable spatial filter located between the illuminator and the substrate holder, and including motorized plates whose position is adjustable so as to at least partially block selectable light beams of the light beam array.

Abstract: A method of scribing a substrate along a scribeline includes causing a laser beam to impinge on the major surface, the point of impingement of the beam constituting a light spot, the substrate being positioned with respect to the laser beam such that the light spot is disposed proximal to the scribeline. The substrate and laser beam are moved relative to one another, such that the light spot is caused to translate substantially along the scribeline, whereby localized energy is transferred from the laser beam to the substrate along the course of the scribeline. The positioning of the light spot with respect to the scribeline is monitored by imaging a flash of light produced during the relative motion. Image recognition software is used to analyze the image and determine momentary position information. The momentary position information is used to regulate a laser beam position setpoint.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a substrate comprises first and second lasers, and first and second optical fibers each having an input end and an output end opposite to the input end, wherein the input ends of the first and second optical fibers are connected to the first and second lasers respectively. The output ends of the first and second optical fibers are movable relative to the substrate and are configured to image first and second laser beams onto the substrate simultaneously for cutting the substrate.

Abstract: A method of dicing a plurality of integrated devices included in a semiconductor substrate using laser energy comprises the steps of directing a first laser beam onto a cutting line along the substrate to ablate a portion of the substrate located along the cutting line to be diced, the portion of the substrate that is ablated forming a recast material adjacent to the cutting line of the substrate that has been diced. A second laser beam is directed onto another portion of the substrate adjacent to the cutting line to conduct heat processing of the recast material formed adjacent to the cutting line.

Abstract: A method of dicing a plurality of integrated devices included in a semiconductor substrate using laser energy comprises the steps of directing a first laser beam onto a cutting line along the substrate to ablate a portion of the substrate located along the cutting line to be diced, the portion of the substrate that is ablated forming a recast material adjacent to the cutting line of the substrate that has been diced. A second laser beam is directed onto another portion of the substrate adjacent to the cutting line to conduct heat processing of the recast material formed adjacent to the cutting line.

Abstract: An apparatus for radiatively scribing a substantially planar semiconductor substrate along a scribelane that extends between opposing rows of semiconductor devices on a target surface of the substrate, said scribelane having a length extending parallel to a first direction and a width extending parallel to a second direction, these first and second directions lying respectively parallel to X and Y axes of a Cartesian coordinate system, comprising: A substrate holder for holding the substrate; An illuminator for producing an adjustable array of several light beams; A projection system for focusing said light beams onto said target surface of the substrate when held on the substrate holder; An actuator system for causing relative displacement of the substrate holder with respect to said light beams parallel to an XY plane, which apparatus further comprises: An adjustable spatial filter located between said illuminator and said substrate holder, comprising a plurality of motorized plates whose position can

Abstract: A method of singulating a semiconductor wafer having two surfaces separated by a thickness T<200 ?m includes partitioning it along a network of scribelines on one side. The other side is secured to an elastic foil, which is clamped to a wafer table. A radiative scribing tool is used to produce at least one laser beam having a pulse duration P?75 ps, and causing the laser beam to scan along each of the scribelines so as to create a scribe with a depth D<T, thereby leaving the second surface intact. The foil is laterally stretched to sever the second major surface along the path of the scribes. In an embodiment, P<CPP, the Time Constant of phonon-phonon coupling in the wafer at the location of incidence of the laser beam.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrostatic beam blanker for a particle-optical apparatus, in which the blanker is used to generate a train of pulses with a fixed repetition rate. Such pulse trains with a sub-picosecond pulse length are for example used in the study of chemistry in the femtosecond scale. The beam blanker according to the invention uses a resonant structure, as a result of which the voltage is amplified by the quality factor Q of the resonant structure. During each zero-crossing of the signal, thus twice per period of the resonant frequency, the beam is transmitted, and the beam is blanked during the rest of the time. In a preferred embodiment the resonant structure comprises a transmission line. Impedance matching of signal source and resonant structure may be performed by tuning stubs.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrostatic beam blanker for a particle-optical apparatus, in which the blanker is used to generate a train of pulses with a fixed repetition rate. Such pulse trains with a sub-picosecond pulse length are for example used in the study of chemistry in the femtosecond scale. The beam blanker according to the invention uses a resonant structure, as a result of which the voltage is amplified by the quality factor Q of the resonant structure. During each zero-crossing of the signal, thus twice per period of the resonant frequency, the beam is transmitted, and the beam is blanked during the rest of the time. In a preferred embodiment the resonant structure comprises a transmission line. Impedance matching of signal source and resonant structure may be performed by tuning stubs.