A method of splitting a semiconductor work piece includes: forming a separation zone within the semiconductor work piece, wherein forming the separation zone comprises modifying semiconductor material of the semiconductor work piece at a plurality of targeted positions within the separation zone in at least one physical property which increases thermo-mechanical stress within the separation zone relative to a remainder of the semiconductor work piece, wherein modifying the semiconductor material in one of the targeted positions comprises focusing at least two laser beams to the targeted position; and applying an external force or stress to the semiconductor work piece such that at least one crack propagates along the separation zone and the semiconductor work piece splits into two separate pieces. Additional work piece splitting techniques and techniques for compensating work piece deformation that occurs during the splitting process are also described.

Laser welding methods include focusing laser radiation onto a first metal sheet disposed on a metal part, optionally with one or more intervening metal sheets therebetween. The laser radiation is steered to trace at least one spiral path to spot-weld together the metal parts. The laser radiation includes a center beam and an annular beam to maintain a stable keyhole. One method is tailored to weld aluminum parts, e.g., with high gas content and/or dissimilar compositions, and the laser radiation traces first an outward spiral path and then an inward spiral path. The center beam is pulsed during one segment of the inward spiral path. Another method is tailored to weld steel or copper parts having a coating at an interface therebetween, and the laser radiation traces an inward spiral path. The interface may be a zero-gap interface, or a non-zero gap may exist.

A manufacturing method for wafers includes: radiating a laser beam to a planned cutoff surface where the ingot is to be cutoff; and forming, with the radiation of the laser beam, a plurality of reformed sections at the planned cutoff surface to extend a crack from the reformed section, thereby slicing wafers, wherein an energy density of the laser beam exceeds a reforming threshold. The energy density satisfies at least one of conditions of a peak value of the energy density is lower than or equal to 44 J/cm.sup.2, a rising rate of the energy density at a portion corresponding to the most shallow position where the energy density reaches the reforming threshold Eth is larger than or equal to 1000 J/cm.sup.3, and a range of depth where the energy density exceeds the reforming threshold is smaller than or equal to 30 μm.

A laser processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a laser unit emitting a laser beam; an optical unit disposed on a propagation path of the laser beam and modulating the incident laser beam into a Bessel beam; a stage on which a workpiece to be processed with the Bessel beam emitted from the optical unit is mounted; and a control unit for controlling the operations of the laser unit, the optical unit, and the stage, wherein the optical unit is configured to position the focus line of the emitted Bessel beam on the workpiece and to move the focus line positioned on the workpiece with a predetermined range.

Systems, devices, and techniques for creating blind annular vias for metallized vias are described. For example, a vortex beam may be applied to an optically transmissive substrate, where the vortex beam may modify a portion of the substrate in an annular shape. The annular shape may extend from a surface of the substrate to a depth that is less than a thickness of the substrate, and the annular shape may have an annular width (e.g., a ring width) that is the same for various diameters of the annular shape. A blind annular via may be formed by etching the modified portion of the substrate, where the blind annular via may include a pillar comprising the same material as the surrounding substrate. In addition, a metallized annular via may be created by filling the blind annular via with a conductive material, and removing a portion of the substrate opposite the surface.

In various embodiments, workpieces are processed, e.g., via welding or cutting, while the shape and/or one or more other parameters of the laser processing beam are altered. The shape and/or one or more other parameters of the laser processing beam may be varied based on one or more characteristics of the workpiece.

Methods, devices and systems for laser-supported plasma cutting or plasma welding of a workpiece. In one aspect, a method includes producing a plasma beam which extends in an expansion direction between an electrode and a processing location on the workpiece, the plasma beam having, with respect to a center axis of the plasma beam that extends in the expansion direction, an inner central region and an outer edge region, and supplying laser radiation to the outer edge region of the plasma beam. The laser radiation supplied to the outer edge region extends parallel with the center axis of the plasma beam.

A laser cutting method and a laser cutting apparatus cut a metallic work with a laser beam of a one-micrometer waveband. The method and apparatus carry out the laser cutting of the work with a ring beam RB passed through a focus position of a condenser lens 13 and having inner and outer diameters that tend to expand. The outer diameter of the ring beam is in a range of 300 μm (micrometers) to 600 μm, an inner diameter ratio of the same is in a range of 30 % to 70 %, and a focal depth of the condenser lens is in a range of 2 mm to 5 mm.

A method and device for laser cladding by independently heating the cladding material and the surface of the workpiece consist in formation of the series of parallel annular laser beams, possibly different wavelengths, with an adjustable distribution of laser radiation power across the annular beams. The annular beams are transformed into a series of conical beams which are separately focused along a single optical axis, along which the cladding material is fed. The device can be supplemented with a cylindrical mirror for the multipass laser radiation through the stream of cladding material with the possibility of the laser radiation return to the laser resonator.

This shaping apparatus is equipped with: a movement system which moves a target surface; a measurement system for acquiring position information of the target surface in a state movable by the movement system, a beam shaping system that has a beam irradiation section and a material processing section which supplies a shaping material irradiated by a beam from beam irradiation section; and a controller. On the basis of 3D data of a three-dimensional shaped object to be formed on a target surface and position information of the target surface acquired using the measurement system, the controller controls the movement system and the beam shaping system such that a target portion on the target surface is shaped by supplying the shaping material while moving the target surface and the beam from beam irradiation section relative to each other.