Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing a thin metal layer on a substrate to control the grain size, grain shape, and grain boundary location and orientation in the metal layer by irradiating the metal layer with a first excimer laser pulse having an intensity pattern defined by a mask to have shadow regions and beamlets. Each region of the metal layer overlapped by a beamlet is melted throughout its entire thickness, and each region of the metal layer overlapped by a shadow region remains at least partially unmelted. After completion of resolidification of the melted regions following irradiation by the first excimer laser pulse, the metal layer is irradiated by a second excimer laser pulse having a shifted intensity pattern so that the shadow regions overlap regions of the metal layer having fewer and larger grains.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim