US 12,294,194 B2
Diode-pumped solid-state laser apparatus for laser annealing
Norman Hodgson, Belmont, CA (US); Andrea Caprara, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Kai Schmidt, Leinefelde (DE)
Assigned to Coherent, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Coherent, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 13, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/741,486.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/905,252, filed on Sep. 24, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/795,341, filed on Jan. 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0235544 A1, Jul. 23, 2020
Int. Cl. H01S 3/109 (2006.01); B23K 26/00 (2014.01); B23K 26/0622 (2014.01); B23K 26/064 (2014.01); B23K 26/354 (2014.01); H01S 3/06 (2006.01); H01S 3/08 (2023.01); H01S 3/094 (2006.01); H01S 3/0941 (2006.01); H01S 3/115 (2006.01); H01S 3/16 (2006.01); H01S 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC H01S 3/109 (2013.01) [B23K 26/0006 (2013.01); B23K 26/0622 (2015.10); B23K 26/064 (2015.10); B23K 26/354 (2015.10); H01S 3/0606 (2013.01); H01S 3/08054 (2013.01); H01S 3/094076 (2013.01); H01S 3/0941 (2013.01); H01S 3/115 (2013.01); H01S 3/1611 (2013.01); H01S 3/1643 (2013.01); H01S 3/0092 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Optical apparatus for annealing a layer on a substrate, comprising:
a plurality of repetitively-pulsed solid-state lasers, each laser thereof configured for delivering an output beam having a wavelength in the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and each laser thereof including:
a laser resonator and the laser resonator including a gain crystal in a form of a slab that is energized by optical pumping to provide a gain volume in the gain crystal,
wherein the gain crystal is end pumped by pump radiation along a propagation axis in the gain crystal to provide the gain volume,
wherein mutually-orthogonal first and second transverse axes are orthogonal to the propagation axis,
wherein the gain volume has first and second dimensions respectively in the first and second transverse axes, and
wherein the energized laser resonator produces a fundamental radiation beam along the propagation axis, wherein the fundamental radiation beam is frequency converted into the output beam,
each output beam having a cross-section in the first and second transverse axes, a beam-quality factor M2 in the first transverse axis greater than 50, a beam-quality factor M2 in the second transverse axis greater than 20, laser pulses having a pulse-energy greater than 100millijoules, and a pulse-repetition frequency greater than 100 hertz; and
a line-projector arranged to receive the output beams, form the output beams into a line-beam, and project the line-beam onto the layer, the line-beam having a length and a width on the layer.