LASER ABLATION SYSTEM INCLUDING VARIABLE ENERGY BEAM TO MINIMIZE ETCH-STOP MATERIAL DAMAGE

• Main Authors: SHEETS, Courtney T, SOUTER, Matthew E, ERWIN, Brian M, LEENSTRA, Bouwe W, TESSLER, Christopher L, POLOMOFF, Nicholas A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 05.09.2018
• Subjects: CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; TRANSPORTING; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

An ablation system includes an ablation tool configured to generate an energy beam to ablate an energy-sensitive material formed on at least one embedded feature of a workpiece. The ablation tool selects an initial fluence and an initial pulse rate of the energy beam to ablate a first portion of the energy-sensitive layer. The ablation tool further reduces at least one of the initial fluence and the initial pulse rate of the energy beam to ablate a second remaining portion of the energy-sensitive layer such that the embedded feature is exposed without being damaged or deformed.