Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media for emitting an incident light toward a semiconductor layer of a semiconductor device, wherein the incident light is a sub-bandgap light substantially transparent to the semiconductor layer, detecting a reflected light generated from the incident light penetrating through the semiconductor layer of the semiconductor device and reflecting off of a portion of the semiconductor device, identifying a macroscopic feature underneath the semiconductor layer based on the reflected light, wherein the macroscopic feature corresponds to the portion of the semiconductor device and is visible to the naked eye, and performing an alignment procedure by using the identified macroscopic feature as a reference for the alignment procedure.

Abstract: A method for separation of semiconductor device cell units from fabricated large-area cell units, together with a corresponding tile unit structure, are provided in which the tile unit is cut along cell unit boundaries while leaving intact a set of specified tab sections distributed along the cell unit boundaries. The tile unit may be a multi-layer composite of a semiconductor layer with a conductive metallic base supported upon a polymer layer and adhered thereto by an adhesive film, wherein tab sections are cut completely through the semiconductor layer and its metallic base from above and may also be cut partially through the polymer layer from below, leaving at least a portion of the polymer layer in place at tab sections. Tile units can be handled such that component cell units are held together by the tab sections, until a physical final separation of selected cell units.

Abstract: A method for separation of semiconductor device cell units from fabricated large-area cell units, together with a corresponding tile unit structure, are provided in which the tile unit is cut along cell unit boundaries while leaving intact a set of specified tab sections distributed along the cell unit boundaries. The tile unit may be a multi-layer composite of a semiconductor layer with a conductive metallic base supported upon a polymer layer and adhered thereto by an adhesive film, wherein tab sections are cut completely through the semiconductor layer and its metallic base from above and may also be cut partially through the polymer layer from below, leaving at least a portion of the polymer layer in place at tab sections. Tile units can be handled such that component cell units are held together by the tab sections, until a physical final separation of selected cell units.

Abstract: A method of laser cutting through dissimilar materials separated by a metal foil. A material stack includes a semiconductor layer or film, with a metal foil layer attached to the back surface. The metal foil layer is attached to an insulative support material layer. A laser parameter is selected and optimized for the material stack. A laser beam creates a kerf in the material stack down to the metal foil layer. The laser beam removes metal through the kerf primarily by gasification rather than melting. Kerf formation continues after optimization of the laser parameter for removal of material from the remaining layers. A debris field resulting from the laser cutting of the metal layer is reduced and/or a portion of the debris is removed in an assisted manner as the beam cuts. The materials are diced by cutting the kerf through all materials.

Abstract: A method of kerf formation and treatment for solar cells and semiconductor films and a system therefor are described. A semiconductor film is backed by a first metal layer and topped by a second metal layer. A reference feature is defined on the film. An ultraviolet laser beam is aligned to the reference feature. A kerf is cut along the reference feature, using the ultraviolet laser beam. The beam cuts through the second metal layer, through the film and through the first metal layer. Cutting leaves debris deposited on walls of the kerf. The debris is cleaned off of the walls, using an acid-based solvent. In the case of solar cells, respective first terminals of the solar cells are electrically isolated by the cleaned kerf, and respective negative terminals of the solar cells are electrically isolated by the cleaned kerf.

Abstract: A method and system for dicing semiconductor devices from a semiconductor film. A semiconductor film, backed by a metal layer, is bonded by an adhesive layer to a flexible translucent substrate. Reference features on the film are used to describe a cutting path like a scribe line. An infrared laser beam is aligned to the scribe lines from the back surface of the flexible substrate. The infrared laser beam cuts through the flexible substrate and the majority of the thickness of the adhesive layer, cutting a first trough of a backside street along a scribe line defined by the reference features. An ultraviolet laser beam is aligned to the backside street, or to the scribe line as mapped to the back surface of the flexible substrate. The ultraviolet laser cuts through the metal layer and the semiconductor film, cutting a second trough along the scribe line. The second trough extends from the bottom of and deepens the first trough, cutting through the semiconductor film.

Abstract: A method and system for dicing semiconductor devices from semiconductor thin films. A semiconductor film, backed by a metal layer, is bonded by an adhesive layer to a flexible translucent substrate. Reference features define device boundaries. An ultraviolet laser beam is aligned to the reference features and cuts through the semiconductor film, the metal layer and partially into the adhesive layer, cutting a frontside street along a real or imaginary scribe line on the cutting path. An infrared laser beam is aligned to the trough of the frontside street from the back surface of the flexible substrate, or the scribe lines are mapped to the back surface of the flexible substrate. The infrared laser beam cuts through the flexible substrate and the majority of the thickness of the adhesive layer, cutting a backside street along the scribe line. The backside street overlaps or cuts through to the frontside street, thereby separating the semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A system for controlling inclination and depth of ablation of a polymer planar waveguide or semiconductor wafer substrate utilizes a laser which directs the beam at the substrate to ablate portions of the surface thereof and a translatable stage for moving the substrate relative to the beam to create a path of ablated material from the surface. The velocity of the substrate is controlled relative to ablation rate of material from the surface or the dimension of the beam is controlled along the path of ablated material to create a desired inclination and depth of ablated material in the path. The depth of ablated material is a function of the beam width along the path of ablated material, workpiece velocity and ablation rate and is substantially controlled by the formula: D=R(W/V) where D is the depth of ablated material, R is ablation rate, W is beam dimension along the path of ablated material, and V is workpiece velocity.

Abstract: An excimer laser system with a fluorine control having a fixed volume inject bottle in which fluorine is injected prior to it being injected into the laser chamber. A manifold and feedback control system is provided to permit precise injection at rates approaching continuous fluorine injection. The system permits the laser to be operated in a small sweet spot as measured by a narrow range of charging voltage.

Abstract: A desired design for electronic structures is converted into a graphic design format and sorted into a pseudo-raster format corresponding to scan lines. A laser or other machining beam is controlled by a separate tracking beam utilizing a mid-objective scanning system. The firing frequency of the machining beam is determined by the position of the tracking beam on a detector, as compared to the scan line data. Accuracy is verified by detection of plume or spectra generated during machining. Alignment of the machining and tracking beams is by interferometric methods. The system improves optical performance parameters of telecentricity, angle of scanned beam line, location of line in which the scanned line resides, astigmatism and field curvature.

Abstract: A desired design for electronic structures is converted into a graphic design format and sorted into a pseudo-raster format corresponding to scan lines. A laser or other machining beam is controlled by a separate tracking beam utilizing a mid-objective scanning system. The firing frequency of the machining beam is determined by the position of the tracking beam on a detector, as compared to the scan line data. Accuracy is verified by detection of plume or spectra generated during machining. Alignment of the machining and tracking beams is by interferometric methods. The system improves optical performance parameters of telecentricity, angle of scanned beam line, location of line in which the scanned line resides, astigmatism and field curvature.

Abstract: A desired design for electronic structures is converted into a graphic design format and sorted into a pseudo-raster format corresponding to scan lines. A laser or other machining beam is controlled by a separate tracking beam utilizing a mid-objective scanning system. The firing frequency of the machining beam is determined by the position of the tracking beam on a detector, as compared to the scan line data. Accuracy is verified by detection of plume or spectra generated during machining. Alignment of the machining and tracking beams is by interferometric methods. The system improves optical performance parameters of telecentricity, angle of scanned beam line, location of line in which the scanned line resides, astigmatism and field curvature.

Abstract: A desired design for electronic structures is converted into a graphic design format and sorted into a pseudo-raster format corresponding to scan lines. A laser or other machining beam is controlled by a separate tracking beam utilizing a mid-objective scanning system. The firing frequency of the machining beam is determined by the position of the tracking beam on a detector, as compared to the scan line data. Accuracy is verified by detection of plume or spectra generated during machining. Alignment of the machining and tracking beams is by interferometric methods. The system improves optical performance parameters of telecentricity, angle of scanned beam line, location of line in which the scanned line resides, astigmatism and field curvature.

Abstract: A desired design for electronic structures is converted into a graphic design format and sorted into a pseudo-raster format corresponding to scan lines. A laser or other machining beam is controlled by a separate tracking beam utilizing a mid-objective scanning system. The firing frequency of the machining beam is determined by the position of the tracking beam on a detector, as compared to the scan line data. Accuracy is verified by detection of plume or spectra generated during machining. Evaluation and alignment of the machining and tracking beams is by interferometric methods. The system improves optical performance parameters of telecentricity, angle of scanned beam line, location of line in which the scanned line resides, astigmatism and field curvature.