| Lasers are increasingly used in industrial applications in microelectronics and integrated optics. The interrelated processes governing laser-material interactions in laser processing applications have been studied by concentrating on several specific systems, each representative of a type of: laser interaction with materials, process, material or device design.; Representative systems were chosen in different classes of laser interactions with materials. Photolytic, pyrolytic and hybrid photolytic/pyrolytic examples of laser excitation were explored. A range of laser processing techniques was studied, including etching, deposition, and material modification. Polymer and semiconductor materials were used to fabricate electronic and optically-based devices.; The specific techniques investigated include: (1) Pyrolytic and photolytic etching of silicon, including process modeling. Silicon was etched with chlorine gas using both visible ({dollar}lambda{dollar} = 514 nm) and ultraviolet ({dollar}lambda{dollar} = 350 nm) illumination. Trenches and vias were formed. Gas-diffusion effects were included in process modeling. (2) Laser fabrication of electronic devices in silicon. Metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors, Schottky-barrier diodes and trench isolated p-n junctions were studied. Laser-processed devices had electrical characteristics suitable for microelectronic applications. (3) Polyimide etching using ultraviolet laser illumination ({dollar}lambda{dollar} = 275 nm-308 nm). Laser-induced via etching was characterized and model results given. (4) Laser fabrication of optical waveguides in silicon. Optical transmission at 1.5 {dollar}mu{dollar}m in epitaxial silicon with direct-write trenches for horizontal confinement were demonstrated. (5) Additional examples including polymer deposition from gas-phase precursors; direct-write-based high Tc superconductor patterning and oxide growth on silicon ({dollar}lambda{dollar} = 514 nm). |
