Abstract: Methods and apparatus for annealing a layer of semiconductor material, particularly amorphous silicon or IGZO, are provided. In one arrangement, an apparatus comprises a laser source that generates a laser beam. A beam scanning arrangement scans the laser beam, or a plurality of sub-beams generated by the laser beam, relative to the layer of semiconductor material in such a way as to selectively irradiate a plurality of regions of the layer of semiconductor material and thereby generate a corresponding plurality of regions of annealed semiconductor material, particularly polysilicon or annealed IGZO. Each of the regions of annealed semiconductor material is separated from all of the other regions of annealed semiconductor material.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for forming fine scale structures (4, 4?, 4?, 5, 6, 7, 8) in the surface of a dielectric substrate (3) to two or more depths are disclosed. In an example, the apparatus comprises a first solid state laser (12) arranged to provide a first pulsed laser beam (13), a first mask (16) having a pattern for defining a first set of structures (4, 6, 7, 8) at a first depth, a projection lens (17) for forming a reduced size image of said pattern on the surface (3) of the substrate and a beam scanner arranged to scan said first pulsed laser beam (13) in a two-dimensional raster scan relative to the first pattern to form a first set of structures (4, 6, 7, 5) at a first depth in the substrate, wherein the first or a further solid state laser is arranged to form a second set of structures (8) at a second depth in the substrate (3).

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for performing laser ablation. In an example arrangement a spatial light modulator (54) is used to modulate a pulsed laser beam from a solid state laser (52). A two-stage de-magnification process (58, 62) is used to allow radiation intensity to be kept relatively low at the spatial light modulator (54) while allowing access to feedback sensors (64) in an intermediate imaging plane.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for forming fine scale structures (4, 4?, 4?, 5, 6, 7, 8) in the surface of a dielectric substrate (3) to two or more depths are disclosed. In an example, the apparatus 25 comprises a first solid state laser (12) arranged to provide a first pulsed laser beam (13), a first mask (16) having a pattern for defining a first set of structures (4, 6, 7, 8) at a first depth, a projection lens (17) for forming a reduced size image of said pattern on the surface (3) of the substrate and a beam scanner arranged to scan said first pulsed laser beam (13) in a two-dimensional raster scan relative to the first pattern to form a first set of structures (4, 6, 7, 5) at a first depth in the substrate, wherein the first or a further solid state laser is arranged to form a second set of structures (8) at a second depth in the substrate (3).