Abstract: Systems and methods for scribing a semiconductor wafer with reduced or no damage or debris to or on individual integrated circuits caused by the scribing process. The semiconductor wafer is scribed from a back side thereof. In one embodiment, the back side of the wafer is scribed following a back side grinding process but prior to removal of back side grinding tape. Thus, debris generated from the scribing process is prevented from being deposited on a top surface of the wafer. To determine the location of dicing lanes or streets relative to the back side of the wafer, the top side of the wafer is illuminated with a light configured to pass through the grinding tape and the wafer. The light is detected from the back side of the wafer, and the streets are mapped relative to the back side. The back side of the wafer is then cut with a saw or laser.

Abstract: Systems and methods for scribing a semiconductor wafer with reduced or no damage or debris to or on individual integrated circuits caused by the scribing process. The semiconductor wafer is scribed from a back side thereof. In one embodiment, the back side of the wafer is scribed following a back side grinding process but prior to removal of back side grinding tape. Thus, debris generated from the scribing process is prevented from being deposited on a top surface of the wafer. To determine the location of dicing lanes or streets relative to the back side of the wafer, the top side of the wafer is illuminated with a light configured to pass through the grinding tape and the wafer. The light is detected from the back side of the wafer, and the streets are mapped relative to the back side. The back side of the wafer is then cut with a saw or laser.

Abstract: Systems and methods for scribing a semiconductor wafer with reduced or no damage or debris to or on individual integrated circuits caused by the scribing process. The semiconductor wafer is scribed from a back side thereof. In one embodiment, the back side of the wafer is scribed following a back side grinding process but prior to removal of back side grinding tape. Thus, debris generated from the scribing process is prevented from being deposited on a top surface of the wafer. To determine the location of dicing lanes or streets relative to the back side of the wafer, the top side of the wafer is illuminated with a light configured to pass through the grinding tape and the wafer. The light is detected from the back side of the wafer, and the streets are mapped relative to the back side. The back side of the wafer is then cut with a saw or laser.

Abstract: A diode-pumped, solid-state laser (52) of a laser system (50) provides ultraviolet Gaussian output (54) that is converted by a diffractive optical element (90) into shaped output (94) having a uniform irradiance profile. A high percentage of the shaped output (94) is focused through an aperture of a mask (98) to provide imaged to provide imaged shaped output (118). The laser system (50) facilitates a method for increasing the throughput of a via drilling process over that available with an analogous clipped Gaussian laser system. This method is particularly advantageous for drilling blind vias (20b) that have better edge, bottom, and taper qualities than those produced by a clipped Gaussian laser system. An alternative laser system (150) employs a pair of beam diverting galvanometer mirrors (152, 154) that directs the Gaussian output around a shaped imaging system (70) that includes a diffractive optical element (90) and a mask (98).

Abstract: A diode-pumped, solid-state laser (52) of a laser system (50) provides ultraviolet Gaussian output (54) that is converted by a diffractive optical element (90) into shaped output (94) having a uniform irradiance profile. A high percentage of the shaped output (94) is focused through an aperture of a mask (98) to provide imaged to provide imaged shaped output (118). The laser system (50) facilitates a method for increasing the throughput of a via drilling process over that available with an analogous clipped Gaussian laser system. This method is particularly advantageous for drilling blind vias (20b) that have better edge, bottom, and taper qualities than those produced by a clipped Gaussian laser system. An alternative laser system (150) employs a pair of beam diverting galvanometer mirrors (152, 154) that directs the Gaussian output around a shaped imaging system (70) that includes a diffractive optical element (90) and a mask (98).

Abstract: A diode-pumped, solid-state laser (52) of a laser system (50) provides ultraviolet Gaussian output (54) that is converted by a diffractive optical element (90) into shaped output (94) having a uniform irradiance profile. A high percentage of the shaped output (94) is focused through an aperture of a mask (98) to provide imaged to provide imaged shaped output (118). The laser system (50) facilitates a method for increasing the throughput of a via drilling process over that available with an analogous clipped Gaussian laser system. This method is particularly advantageous for drilling blind vias (20b) that have better edge, bottom, and taper qualities than those produced by a clipped Gaussian laser system. An alternative laser system (150) employs a pair of beam diverting galvanometer mirrors (152, 154) that directs the Gaussian output around a shaped imaging system (70) that includes a diffractive optical element (90) and a mask (98).

Abstract: A single pass actuator (70, 200), such as a deformable mirror (70), quickly changes, preferably in less than 1 ms, the focus and hence the spot size of ultraviolet or visible wavelength laser pulses to change the fluence of the laser output (66) at the workpiece surface between at least two different fluence levels to facilitate processing top metallic layers (264) at higher fluences and underlying dielectric layers (266) at lower fluences to protect bottom metallic layers (268). The focus change is accomplished without requiring Z-axis movement of the laser positioning system (62). In addition, the spot size can be changed advantageously during trepanning operations to decrease via taper, reduce lip formation, increase throughput, and/or minimize damage.

Abstract: A single pass actuator (70, 200), such as a deformable mirror (70), quickly changes, preferably in less than 1 ms, the focus and hence the spot size of ultraviolet or visible wavelength laser pulses to change the fluence of the laser output (66) at the workpiece surface between at least two different fluence levels to facilitate processing top metallic layers (264) at higher fluences and underlying dielectric layers (266) at lower fluences to protect bottom metallic layers (268). The focus change is accomplished without requiring Z-axis movement of the laser positioning system (62). In addition, the spot size can be changed advantageously during trepanning operations to decrease via taper, reduce lip formation, increase throughput, and/or minimize damage.

Abstract: A diode-pumped laser system (10) incorporates a polarization state control device (12) that provides a trim profile (84) having minimal striations (64) on a target material (42). The striations run generally parallel to the polarization direction of laser output light beam (L) and are diminished whenever the polarization direction is parallel to the laser trimming direction. The striations are substantially eliminated by circularly or randomly polarizing the laser output light beam.

Abstract: A polarization-selective holographic element having first and second holographic layers, each holographic layer including holograms comprising a plurality of fringes which are recorded with light having a first wavelength .lambda..sub.1. The holographic optical element transmits a first component of light having a second wavelength .lambda..sub.2 without diffraction and diffracts a second component of the light having the second wavelength by a selected angle. The holograms have a high diffraction efficiency and are recorded with beams making angles .sigma..sub.1 and .sigma..sub.2 with a normal to the surface of the holographic layers, where .vertline..theta..sub.2 -.theta..sub.1 .vertline.=.vertline..sigma..sub.2 -.sigma..sub.1 .vertline.=2.alpha., .lambda..sub.2 /(sin.theta..sub.1 +sin.theta..sub.2)=.lambda..sub.1 /(sin.theta..sub.1 +sin.theta..sub.2), and .theta..sub.1 and .theta..sub.2 are the incident and diffracted angles of the second component of the light having the second wavelength.