Yu Yang FongMilwaukee, WI

6554464, Apr 29, 2003

Feb 16, 2000

09/505268

Andrew M. Hawryluk - Los Altos Hills CA
Yu Chue Fong - Fremont CA
David G. Stites - Los Altos CA
Weijian Wang - San Jose CA

Ultratech Stepper, Inc. - San Jose CA

F21V 800

362582, 362551, 362259

A light tunnel ( ) comprising a hollow light tunnel body ( ) or a solid light tunnel body ( ) having a central axis (A1 or A2), a reflective surface ( or ) facing the axis, and an output end ( or ) having an edge ( or ) with a chamfered surface ( or ) formed on the edge. The chamfered surface is designed to alter the reflective properties of the reflective surfaces of the light tunnel body near the output end so as to reduce or eliminate edge ringing from the light tunnel body edge. In the case of a knife-edge ( ) placed at the output end of the light tunnel body, knife-edge ringing is eliminated by providing a light source ( ) in the form of a laser with a large number of spatial modes (M ). The present invention is expected to be most useful in cases where time-averaging or other interference-eliminating means prove impossible or impractical, such as with applications requiring only one or a few high-irradiance light pulses that need to uniformly irradiate a workpiece.

6617600, Sep 9, 2003

Feb 16, 2000

09/505595

Andrew M. Hawryluk - Los Altos Hills CA
Joe Gortych - Winooski VT
Yu Chue Fong - Fremont CA

Ultratech Stepper, Inc. - San Jose CA

G21F 100

2505051, 2505151

A radiation shield device ( ) and method, the apparatus comprising either an absorbing shield ( ), a scattering shield ( ) or an absorbing and scattering shield ( ) arranged in a processing tool ( ) that irradiates a workpiece ( ) with high-irradiance radiation ( ) from a light source ( ). The processing tool has a tool portion ( ) having an irradiance damage threshold (I ). The radiation shield device is designed to intercept a portion of the high-irradiance radiation that would otherwise be incident the tool portion, and to ensure that radiation exiting the particular shield comprising the radiation shield device and incident the tool portion has an irradiance below the tool portion irradiance damage threshold. The method includes using the radiation shield device in processing a workpiece using a processing tool.

2004004, Mar 4, 2004

Aug 29, 2003

10/650848

Andrew Hawryluk - Los Altos Hills CA, US
Joe Gortych - Winooski VT, US
Yu Fong - Fremont CA, US

ULTRATECH STEPPER, INC.

G21F001/00
G21F003/00

250/505100, 250/515100

A radiation shield device () and method, the apparatus comprising either an absorbing shield (), a scattering shield () or an absorbing and scattering shield () arranged in a processing tool () that irradiates a workpiece () with high-irradiance radiation () from a light source (). The processing tool has a tool portion () having an irradiance damage threshold (I). The radiation shield device is designed to intercept a portion of the high-irradiance radiation that would otherwise be incident the tool portion, and to ensure that radiation exiting the particular shield comprising the radiation shield device and incident the tool portion has an irradiance below the tool portion irradiance damage threshold. The method includes using the radiation shield device in processing a workpiece using a processing tool.

6366308, Apr 2, 2002

Feb 16, 2000

09/505605

Andrew M. Hawryluk - Los Altos Hills CA
Weijian Wang - San Jose CA
David G. Stites - Los Altos CA
Yu Chue Fong - Fremont CA

Ultratech Stepper, Inc. - San Jose CA

B41J 2700

347256, 347241, 347224

An method of and apparatus ( ) for performing laser thermal processing (LTP) of a workpiece ( ) having one or more workpiece fields ( ). The apparatus includes a pulsed, solid state laser light source ( ) having more than 1000 spatial modes (M) and capable of emitting one or more pulses of radiation with a temporal pulse length between 1 nanosecond and 1 microsecond, a workpiece stage ( ) for supporting the workpiece, and an illumination optical system having an exposure field ( ). The system is arranged between the laser light source and the workpiece stage so as to illuminate within the exposure field at least one of the one or more workpiece fields with the one or more pulses of radiation, with an irradiance uniformity of less than Â5%. The method and apparatus is particularly well-suited for LTP processing of workpieces which require a single pulse or only a few pulses of high-irradiance radiation. Other applications of the present invention include rapid thermal annealing of semiconductor devices in semiconductor device manufacturing and processing, recording information in storage media, and, in general, conditioning surfaces.