Abstract: A method for operating a conveying system is provided. An overhead hoist transport (OHT) vehicle is provided, wherein the OHT vehicle includes a gripping member configured to grip and hold a carrier, and a receiver configured to receive a signal. The signal is transmitted to the receiver of the OHT vehicle. The OHT vehicle is moved toward the carrier, and the carrier is gripped by the gripping member of the OHT vehicle. A lifting force is determined based on a weight of a carrier, a number of workpieces in the carrier, or a vertical distance between the OHT vehicle and the carrier, and the lifting force is applied to the carrier.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for deflashing integrated circuit (IC) packages by laser irradiation. The method and apparatus include two lasers scanning flash area for performing deflashing operation. CO2 laser is used to remove top layer of flash and YAG laser is used to remove the thin layer of flash remained after CO2 laser deflashing. CO2 laser deflashing and following YAG laser deflashing can effectively remove flash and avoid damage of heat sinks as well as leads and bars in the IC packages.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for decapping integrated circuit packages. The invention involves irradiating an IC package with laser radiation, typically in the UV-IR spectra and of short pulse duration. The irradiation results in ablation of the molding compound. The invention also provides real-time monitoring and process control of the decapping process and fluid-flow removal of ablation debris. Using the invention, decapping can be performed without causing damage to the internal IC structure. Furthermore, decapping in a liquid can prevent oxidization of the molding compound by ambient air.

Abstract: A method for forming a highly activated ultra shallow ion implanted semiconductive elements for use in sub-tenth micron MOSFET technology is described. A key feature of the method is the ability to activate the implanted impurity to a highly active state without permitting the dopant to diffuse further to deepen the junction. A selected single crystalline silicon active region is first amorphized by implanting a heavy ion such as silicon or germanium. A semiconductive impurity for example boron is then implanted and activated by pulsed laser annealing whereby the pulse fluence, frequency, and duration are chosen to maintain the amorphized region just below it's melting temperature. It is found that just below the melting temperature there is sufficient local ion mobility to secure the dopant into active positions within the silicon matrix to achieve a high degree of activation with essentially no change in concentration profile.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for deflashing integrated circuit (IC) packages by laser irradiation. The method and apparatus include two lasers scanning flash area for performing deflashing operation. CO2 laser is used to remove top layer of flash and YAG laser is used to remove the thin layer of flash remained after CO2 laser deflashing. CO2 laser deflashing and following YAG laser deflashing can effectively remove flash and avoid damage of heat sinks as well as leads and bars in the IC packages.

Abstract: A method of patterning a substrate includes forming a liquid film on the substrate surface and directing laser energy from a laser through the film to etch the substrate surface. Etched material is carried away from the substrate surface via evaporation of the film during the etching. The liquid film may be formed on the substrate surface by jetting a liquid vapor onto the substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating ablation-free visible markings on a multi-layer hard disk magnetic storage media by laser-induced deformation while maintaining the integrity of the protective carbon layer, and without destroying the multi-layered structure of the media. The apparatus includes a laser generator, a rotatable optical plate and a beamsplitter by which the fluence of the beam can be controlled without altering the power setting to the laser generator, a beam sampler for determining the fluence of the beam, and an optical plate which acts with the beamsplitter to eliminate unwanted reflection of the laser beam. The laser beam is steered by a beamsteerer to a hard disk held in a material handling unit. This technique is highly suitable for marking or labeling finished hard disks for the purposes of identification and traceability, without creating any short-term or long-term contamination problems. The corresponding storage media so marked are also claimed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the removal of mold flash from an IC device using a non-thermal laser ablation method. Ablation is achieved under conditions in which the mold flash is converted to plasma under short laser pulses which do not give sufficient time or energy for significant thermal processes to occur. As a result, the heat sink underneath the mold flash is prevented from heating up due to lack of heat transfer, thereby protecting the heat sink from heat damages. According to one feature of the invention, a mask is provided to protect the molded packaging of the IC device from the laser beam. The mask has at least one hole which corresponds to the heat sink of the device wherethrough the laser beam can pass. According to another feature of the invention, a large beam diameter is provided to increase the efficiency of the deflashing process.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of patterning a substrate (30) according to a predetermined path, said method including forming a liquid film (134) on the substrate surface and directing laser energy from a laser (10) through the film (134) to etch the substrate surface, wherein etched material is carried away from the substrate surface via evaporation of the film during said etching.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for deflashing integrated circuit (IC) packages by laser irradiation. The method and apparatus include two lasers scanning flash area for performing deflashing operation. CO2 laser is used to remove top layer of flash and YAG laser is used to remove the thin layer of flash remained after CO2 laser deflashing. CO2 laser deflashing and following YAG laser deflashing can effectively remove flash and avoid damage of heat sinks as well as leads and bars in the IC packages.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating ablation-free visible markings on a multi-layer hard disk magnetic storage media by laser-induced deformation while maintaining the integrity of the protective carbon layer, and without destroying the multi-layered structure of the media. The apparatus includes a laser generator, a rotatable optical plate and a beamsplitter by which the fluence of the beam can be controlled without altering the power setting to the laser generator, a beam sampler for determining the fluence of the beam, and an optical plate which acts with the beamsplitter to eliminate unwanted reflection of the laser beam. The laser beam is steered by a beamsteerer to a hard disk held in a material handling unit. This technique is highly suitable for marking or labeling finished hard disks for the purposes of identification and traceability, without creating any short-term or long-term contamination problems. The corresponding storage media so marked are also claimed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for decapping integrated circuit packages. The invention involves irradiating an IC package with laser radiation, typically in the UV-IR spectra and of short pulse duration. The irradiation results in ablation of the molding compound. The invention also provides real-time monitoring and process control of the decapping process and fluid-flow removal of ablation debris. Using the invention, decapping can be performed without causing damage to the internal IC structure. Furthermore, decapping in a liquid can prevent oxidisation of the molding compound by ambient air.

Abstract: In a flat panel display, a laser spacer array is created on the transparent substrate 10′ to maintain the two substrates at a pre-determined spacing in the finished panel. The spacers 20 are distributed between the two substrates, which are sealed using sealant 18 resulting in a cell gap with pre-determined spacing distance.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for forming ultra-thin (.about.300-.ANG.), uniform and stoichiometric C54-titanium silicide with a Ti film thickness of 200-300 .ANG. using pulsed laser salicidation. The invention achieves this by preferably step-scanning from die to die, across the wafer using laser pulses with an optical fluence (laser energy) ranging from 0.1 to 0.2 J/cm.sup.2 for approximately 23 nanoseconds per pulse. The source of radiation can be a XeCl or KrF excimer laser, or one in which the laser's wavelength is chosen such that the laser energy is absorbed the most by the refractory metal, i.e. titanium (Ti), cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni). The laser beam size is typically die-size or can be fine tuned to 1 to 100 .mu.m and can be optimized to reduce the intensity variation across the laser spot diameter. At each position between 1 to 100 pulses can be emitted on the wafer. Localized heating is possible with the ability to establish the ambient temperature at or below 200.degree. C.

Abstract: A method of stripping photoresist and polymer from a wafer after a dry etch of a nitrade or a polysilicon layer that immerses the wafer in a peroxydisulfate (S.sub.2 O.sub.8.sup.2-)/HCl wet bath and while the wafer is still immersed, irradiates the wafer with a UV laser. The method comprises: (a) forming an silicon nitride layer 24 and a photoresist pattern 28 over a semi conductor structure 10; (b) dry etching the silicon nitride layer 24 thus forming a polymer 30 over the photoresist pattern, and the silicon nitride layer, (c) Immersing the substrate, the photoresist pattern, the polymer 30 in a liquid bath 34 comprising (1) peroxydisulfate (S.sub.2 O.sub.8.sup.2-), (2) HCl, and (3) water; and irradiating the photoresist pattern 28 and polymer layer 30 with a UV laser thereby removing the photoresist 28 and polymer 30.

Abstract: A dry process to remove mold flash on integrated circuit packages (IC packages) by using pulse, short wavelength laser irradiation. The mold remnants on the surface or in holes of the lead frame can be removed by pulse laser irradiation, with the effect of thermal expansion of lead frame metals and momentum transferring from the laser beam to the mold remnants. Compared with conventional water jet or etching processes, the new technique has high productivity and does not degrade the reliability of the IC packages, due to the fact that there is no water or chemical solutions involved in the process.