Methods and apparatus for extending the lifetime of optical components are disclosed. A beam of laser energy directed along a beam path that intersects a scan lens, through which it can be transmitted. The beam path can be deflected within a scan region of the scan lens to process a workpiece with the laser energy transmitted by the scan lens. The scan region can be shifted to a different location within the scan lens, e.g., to delay or avoid accumulation of laser-induced damage within the scan lens, while processing a workpiece.

A process for delineating a population of electrode structures in a web is disclosed. The web has a down-web direction, a cross-web direction, an electrochemically active layer, and an electrically conductive layer. The process includes laser machining the web in at least the cross-web direction to delineate members of the electrode structure population in the web without releasing the delineated members from the web and forming an alignment feature in the web that is adapted for locating each delineated member of the electrode structure population in the web.

Local patterning and metallization of semiconductor structures using a laser beam, e.g., micro-electronic devices, semiconductor substrates and/or solar cells, are described. For example, a method of fabricating a solar cell includes providing a substrate having an intervening layer thereon. The method also includes locating a metal foil over the intervening layer. The method also includes exposing the metal foil to a laser beam, wherein exposing the metal foil to the laser beam forms openings in the intervening layer and forms a plurality of conductive contact structures electrically connected to portions of the substrate exposed by the openings.

A method for cutting a transparent brittle material using pulsed laser-radiation is disclosed. A beam of pulsed laser-radiation having an optical-axis is focused in the material by a variable-focus lens or mirror. The focus is translated along the optical-axis while the material is moved with respect to the beam to create an array of defects along a cutting path.

Disclosed are a method and device for manufacturing an ophthalmic lens for eyeglasses intended to be placed in front of an eye of a wearer, the ophthalmic lens having a desired optical function including a dioptric function adapted to a prescription of the wearer. The method includes: providing an optical element made of a first material having a first refractive index, the optical element being intended to be modified to manufacture the ophthalmic lens; providing data relative to the modification of the optical element enabling to obtain the desired optical function; determining at least one zone in the first material based on data; and modifying the refractive index of the first material to form a pattern in the determined zone with focused femtosecond laser pulses according to data so as to obtain an ophthalmic lens having the desired optical function.

There is provided a laser processing method for cutting a semiconductor object along a virtual plane facing a surface of the semiconductor object in the semiconductor object. The laser processing method includes a first step of forming a plurality of first modified spots along the virtual plane to obtain first formation density, by causing laser light to enter into the semiconductor object from the surface, and a second step of forming a plurality of second modified spots along the virtual plane so as to obtain second formation density higher than the first formation density, by causing laser light to enter into the semiconductor object from the surface after the first step.

Methods and apparatus for separating substrates are disclosed, as are articles formed from the separated substrates. A method of separating a substrate having first and second surfaces includes directing a beam of laser light to pass through the first surface and, thereafter, to pass through the second surface. The beam of laser light has a beam waist located at a surface of the substrate or outside the substrate. Relative motion between the beam of laser light and the substrate is caused to scan a spot on a surface of the substrate to be scanned along a guide path. Portions of the substrate illuminated within the spot absorb light within the beam of laser light so that the substrate can be separated along the guide path.

A method of manufacturing a component carrier is described. The method includes forming a stack having at least one electrically conductive layer structure and/or at least one electrically insulating layer structure, and cutting out the component carrier from the stack along a closed circumferential laser cutting trajectory by a pulsed laser beam having a pulse length of less than 1 ns.

A manufacturing method includes a first repeating step of irradiating a base material with a pulse laser, having a spot diameter S, while relatively moving a laser head and the base material in a first direction, moving the laser head by a predetermined pitch width Pin a second direction that intersects the first direction, and repeating irradiation by the pulse laser along the first direction and movement of the laser head in the second direction, and a second repeating step of irradiating the base material with the pulse laser while relatively moving the laser head and the base material in the second direction, moving the laser head by the pitch width in the first direction, and repeating irradiation by the pulse laser along the second direction and movement of the laser head in the first direction, wherein S<P<100 μm.

The invention provides a multi-segment focusing lens for effective laser processing method that allows to cut/scribe/cleave/dice or, generally speaking, separate, hard, brittle, and solid wafers or glass sheets, which are either bare or have microelectronic or MEMS devices formed on them. The multi-segment focusing lens is used in a laser processing method comprises a step of modifying a pulsed laser beam by a shaping and focusing unit, including a multi-segment lens. Said multi-segment lens creates multiple beam convergence zones, more particularly, multiple focal points, said and interference spike shape intensity distribution exceeding the optical damage threshold of the workpiece material. Said interference spike shape intensity distribution is situated in the bulk of the workpiece. During the aforementioned step a modified area is created. The laser processing method further comprises a step of creating a number of such damage structures in a predetermined breaking line or curved trajectory by relative translation of the workpiece in relation to the focal point of the laser beam.