Methods and systems for trimming circuits

Abstract

Various embodiments of the invention include methods and systems for trimming electronic circuits using short laser pulses of near-infrared wavelength at a high repetition rate. The laser pulses ablate material from a spot on a circuit with minimal thermal and photoelectric disturbances to circuit performance. Minimal disturbance to circuit performance allows for repeated trimming and testing without pausing for circuit reinitialization. To optimize trimming, the laser pulses can also be adjusted responsive to the composition of the material ablated. In some embodiments, the system is configured to trim a plurality of circuits in parallel.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates in general to the field of circuit manufacturing and, more particularly, circuit manufacture using optical lasers.

2. Related Art

Circuit manufacture sometimes requires that a circuit be trimmed to meet certain specifications. Circuit trimming includes the removal of excess material from a circuit so that the circuit can perform more optimally. Trimming is sometimes accomplished using laser ablation. Laser ablation removes material from a spot by vaporizing the material at the spot using a laser beam.

Established techniques of circuit trimming include the use of q-switched lasers to produce laser pulses. A q-switched laser typically generates laser pulses having a duration of several nanoseconds and a repetition rate from a few hertz to approximately a few kilohertz.

A problem with trimming techniques of the prior art is a risk of thermal and/or photoelectric effects to material around the ablated spot. These effects may result in disturbances to the operation of the circuit being trimmed, particularly when the circuits include digital components. The possibility of these disturbances typically requires that digital circuits be reset after each ablation step to allow for accurate testing of circuit performance. Resetting of the circuit requires a time-consuming reinitialization of the circuit between each ablation step. For example, when the trimming disrupts a logic state required for testing of a digital circuit, it may be that signals must be sent to the digital circuit in order to bring it back to the required logic state. Because circuits may need to be trimmed and tested multiple times to optimize the total trimming, the times required for one or more reinitializations can significantly slow down the trimming process. Having to reinitialize the circuit may also adversely affect precision of the trimming process because there is an incentive to use fewer ablation steps, requiring fewer reinitializations, in order to complete trimming within a reasonable time. There is, therefore, a need for methods and systems of trimming circuits that allow for circuit testing without requiring that the circuit be reinitialized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The methods and systems of the present invention remove material from a circuit by delivering laser pulses to a spot within the material to be ablated. In various embodiments, the laser pulses are of near-infrared wavelength and/or configured to ablate material from the spot with minimal temperature and/or photoelectric disturbance. This minimal disturbance may allow for trimming and testing of the circuit without reinitializing (e.g., resetting) the circuit. Various embodiments further include sensing the composition of ablated material and adjustment of the laser pulses to more optimally trim the circuit in response to this composition. Some embodiments include a targeting or focusing component configured to improve the precision of circuit trimming. The circuit trimmed may include digital and/or analog components.

Various embodiments include a method of ablating material from a plurality of circuits by delivering, in parallel, optical laser pulses of near-infrared wavelength to a plurality of circuits to be trimmed. The parallel trimming of multiple circuits includes ablating a spot on each circuit, testing each circuit, and if necessary, ablating each circuit again. Parallel trimming includes the performance of these steps concurrently on multiple circuits. In some embodiments, a train of laser pulses from a single source is divided up into several pulse trains, each of which is directed at a different member of a plurality of circuits being trimmed in parallel.

Various embodiments comprise a system for circuit trimming including a laser device, configured to produce and deliver optical laser pulses of near-infrared wavelength toward a spot on a circuit, and a testing component configured to monitor performance of the circuit. Some embodiments of the system are configured to adjust parameters of the laser pulses based on instructions received from a user directly, or based on instructions generated responsive to, for example, a composition of the material at the spot. For example, an optional composition analysis component is configured to determine the ablation threshold of the material being ablated and generate instructions to adjust the parameters of the laser pulses accordingly. The composition of the material may be inputted by a user, or the composition may be identified by a composition sensor.

Various embodiments of the invention include a method of removing material from the surface of a first circuit comprising generating a first laser pulse using a pulse generator, targeting a spot on the first circuit using a focusing component, delivering the first laser pulse to the spot on the first circuit, the first circuit including a digital component, ablating material from the spot using the first laser pulse without changing a state of the digital component, and testing performance of the first circuit following the step of ablating material, the testing being performed without reinitializing the circuit between the steps of ablating material and testing performance.

Various embodiments of the invention include a method of removing material from the surface of a plurality of circuits comprising generating laser pulses using a pulse generator, targeting at least one spot on each of the plurality of circuits using a focusing component, delivering the laser pulses to the at least one spot on each of the plurality of circuits, ablating material from the at least one spot on each of the plurality of circuits using the laser pulses, testing performance of each of the plurality of circuits by measuring an indicative property of the performance of each of the plurality of circuits without resetting each of the plurality of circuits between the steps of ablating material and testing performance, and repeating the steps of ablating material and testing performance on each of the plurality of circuits in parallel.

Various embodiments of the invention include a system for trimming a circuit, comprising a pulse generator configured to produce laser pulses having a) a wavelength greater than 1100 nanometers and a duration of less than 10 picoseconds, or b) a wavelength of greater than 1350 nanometers, a delivery component configured to deliver the laser pulses to a spot on a surface of the circuit to remove material from the circuit, a testing component configured to test an indicative property of performance of the circuit following the material removal without reinitializing the circuit between the material removal and the test.

Various embodiments of the invention include a set of digital electronic circuits trimmed to a precision of at least one part in fifty using one of the methods described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a graph depicting the responsivity of silicon to light of different wavelengths.

FIG. 2 is block diagram illustrating various embodiments of a circuit trimming system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting various embodiments of a method of operation of an exemplary circuit trimming system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes methods of and systems for circuit manufacturing. Some embodiments include the use of sub-nanosecond laser pulses of near-infrared wavelength to trim a circuit by ablating material from the circuit and testing performance of the circuit after ablation without resetting (e.g., reinitializing) the circuit between the ablation and the testing. The laser pulses can be configured in terms of wavelength, power, duration, repetition rate, and/or the like, such that more optimal ablation of the material from the circuit occurs.

Circuits, analog and/or digital, may be composed of various materials, including silicon and silicon-based materials. FIG. 1 is a graph depicting the responsivity of silicon to light of different wavelengths. As illustrated, silicon is generally responsive to light with wavelengths ranging from about 100 nanometers to about 1100 nanometers. For light wavelengths falling out of this range, there is minimal absorption by silicon. Those wavelengths that experience minimal absorption by silicon and/or silicon-based material are considered “invisible” to the material. The invisible wavelengths that fall above 1100 nanometers include wavelengths within the “near-infrared” region of the electromagnetic spectrum. For example, laser pulses in the near-infrared wavelength, such as 1300 nanometers, are invisible to silicon and therefore, produce minimal thermoelectric or photoelectric effect in silicon and some silicon-based materials.

Compared to q-switched laser pulses, sub-nanosecond laser pulses can be configure to ablate material with fewer thermal effects. Because the photon energy within a laser pulse of less than approximately 10 picoseconds is delivered in a shorter period of time, the material absorbing the energy is ablated before the delivered energy can be thermally transferred to other parts of the circuit.

FIG. 2 is block diagram illustrating various embodiments of a circuit trimming system 200, according to various embodiments of the present invention. Circuit Trimming System 200 is configured to trim a circuit by generating laser pulses to ablate material from a spot on the circuit, delivering the pulses to the spot, and testing circuit performance to determine whether further ablation is required. In some embodiments, this process can be repeated without disrupting the operation of the circuit, and thus, the circuit need not be reinitialized before subsequent ablation and testing.

Circuit Trimming System 200 includes a Pulse Generator 210, an optional Input 220, an optional Controller 230, a Focus Component 240, a Delivery Component 250, Train Separation Component 255, and a Testing Component 260. The Circuit Trimming System 200 may further include a Composition Database 270, a Data Analyzer 280, and a Composition Sensor 290, configured to adjust laser ablation based on a composition of the material ablated.

Pulse Generator 210 is configured to generate optical laser pulses of near-infrared wavelength. In various embodiments, generating laser pulses using Pulse Generator 210 includes mode-locking, chirping, amplifying, compressing, and/or the like. Modelocking produces a train (e.g., pulse train or series of pulses) of laser pulses including pulse widths on the order of picoseconds, or femtoseconds. Chirping stretches a laser pulse temporally, increasing the pulse duration by several orders of magnitude. For example, a pulse can be stretched from a duration of under 1 picosecond to approximately 1 nanosecond, which is a change of three orders of magnitude (1000 times). This decreases the pulse peak power by the same factor such that the total power contained in the pulse remains approximately constant A stretched pulse may be amplified to increase the energy of the pulse, and subsequently compressed to produce an amplified sub-nanosecond pulse. In various embodiments, Pulse Generator 210 is configured to generate laser pulses less than 1 nanosecond, 100 picoseconds, 50 picoseconds, 25 picoseconds, 10 picoseconds, 1 picosecond, or 0.5 picoseconds in width. In various embodiments, the laser pulses produced by the Pulse Generator 210 have a wavelengths of at least 1100 nanometers (nm), 1200 nm, 1300 nm, 1350 nm, 1400 nm, 1500 nm, 1550 nm, 1600 nm, or 2000 nm.

In some embodiments, Pulse Generator 210 includes one or more optical fiber configured for amplification, compression or delivery of optical pulses to the spot. For example, Pulse Generator 210 may include an optical fiber amplifier and/or a Bragg fiber compressor.

In various embodiments, the Pulse Generator 210 may be configured to produce laser pulses according to preset parameters. Examples of these preset parameters include the wavelength of the laser pulses, pulse duration, pulse repetition rate, pulse power, focal position, and/or the like. Some embodiments allow the instructions for achieving the preset parameters to be received by an optional Input 220. Input 220 may include a keyboard, keypad, a network device, a graphical user interface, a control panel, an electrical communication port, and/or the like. Input 220 may receive instructions regarding using such techniques as mode-locking, chirping, amplifying, compressing, and/or the like. In various embodiments, the repetition rate of the laser pulses generated using Pulse Generator 210 is at least 500 hertz, 1 kilohertz (kHz), 5 kHz, 10 kHz, 20 kHz, 50 kHz, 100 kHz, 200 kHz, 500 kHz, or 1000 kHz. In various embodiments, trimming a circuit includes generating at least 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, or 50,000 laser pulses. These generated pulses are optionally used to trim more than one circuit in parallel.

From Input 220, the instructions are delivered to Controller 230, which is configured to adjust the operation of the Pulse Generator 210 responsive to the instructions. In various embodiments, the instructions may control which laser generation techniques, such as chirping, stretching, amplifying, and/or the like, are used and to what extent. Further, the instructions may be configured to select a pulse energy, a pulse repetition rate, a pulse duration, a pulse focus, an ablation spot on a circuit, and/or the like.

Controller 230 includes a computing device, personal computer, digital control device, processor, or the like, as well as logic configured to carry out instructions and otherwise control Circuit Trimming System 200. This logic may include hardware, firmware, and/or software embodied on a computer readable medium.

Focus Component 240 is configured to focus the laser pulses on a spot on a surface of a circuit containing material to be ablated. Some embodiments of Focus Component 240 allow for a user to manually focus laser pulses on the spot. For example, in various embodiments of the present invention, a user may place thin conformal material, such as a glass cover slip or semi-transparent plastic, on a circuit and deliver laser pulses of various sub-ablation power levels to a covered spot on the circuit until the spot begins to luminesce or fluoresce, as detected by a spectrograph, photo detector, or the like. The luminescence or fluorescence may then be used to manually guide the laser pulses into the spot having the material to be ablated. Some embodiments of Focus Component 240 are configured to automatically locate a spot including material to be ablated. In these embodiments, the circuit and focal spot are mechanically positioned relative to each other using processor controlled positioning equipment.

Delivery Component 250 is configured to deliver laser pulses to the Focus Component 240. In various embodiments, the Delivery Component 250 uses a waveguide to guide and deliver waves of laser pulses to the spot. Examples of waveguides may include optical fibers, such as Bragg fibers or the like. In various embodiments, Focus Component 240 and Delivery Component 250 may be combined in a single component. In some embodiments, Delivery Component 250 includes a plurality of optical fibers configured to deliver light pulses to a plurality of Focus Component 240 to trim a plurality of circuits in parallel. In some embodiments, Delivery Component 250 includes an optical fiber configured to compress optical pulses. As such, Delivery Component 250 may be configured to both deliver and compress laser pulses.

Optional Train Separation Component 255 is configured to generate more than one train of laser pulses from the laser pulses produced within Pulse Generator 210. In some embodiments, Train Separation Component 255 includes a pulse selector. In these embodiments, the pulse selector is configured to select individual pulses for inclusion in a first, second and/or further pulse train. For example, the pulse selector may be configured to direct every other pulse into one of two alternative pulse trains. In some embodiments, Train Separation Component 255 includes a pulse splitter, such as a partial reflector. In these embodiments, Train Separation Component 255 is configured to generate more than one pulse train by directing part of each pulse to a different pulse train.

Train Separation Component 255 may be configured to receive the output of Pulse Generator 210 or may be included within Pulse Generator 210. For example, in some embodiments, Train Separation Component 255 is disposed between an amplifier and a plurality of compressors within Pulse Generator 210. As such, Train Separation Component 225 may be configured to generate trains of laser pulses prior to pulse compression. The pulse train outputs of Train Separation Component 225 are then each separately directed into one of the plurality of compressors.

If the Pulse Generator 210 generates laser pulses on the order of 10 picosecond in width or less and of near-infrared wavelength greater than 1100 nm, the ablation will typically result in significantly fewer thermal effects than would laser pulses of a nanosecond or longer. Thus, the need to reset the circuit before testing may be diminished. Testing Component 260 is configured to monitor and test the performance of the circuit in order to determine whether the performance of the circuit meets the user's standards and/or whether further trimming is necessary. Aspects of circuit performance that may be tested include signal slew rate, sample and hold times, clock frequency, speed, power, efficiency, resistance, impedance, resonance, and/or the like. In various embodiments, Testing Component 260 can monitor circuit performance either continuously or intermittently throughout the trimming process, including before, during, and/or after each ablation step.

Various embodiments are configured to of tailor the parameters of the laser pulses for use with various compositions. For example, some embodiments are configured to generate instructions based on composition of the material to be ablated. Generating instructions may include retrieving information from a Composition Database 270 including physical properties of various compositions. For example, in some embodiments the identity of a composition is used to retrieve ablation thresholds from Composition Database 270. These ablation thresholds are optionally used by a Data Analyzer 280 to generate instructions for adjusting laser pulse parameters to achieve more optimal ablation. These instructions may be delivered to and received by Input 220, which communicates them to Controller 230. Various embodiments enable a user to enter a composition's identity into Composition Database 270.

Various embodiments optionally include a Composition Sensor 290 configured to identify the composition of a material at a targeted spot and use the composition's identity to retrieve an ablation threshold from the Composition Database 270. In some embodiments, Composition Sensor 290 includes an emission spectrometer configured to identify the composition of a material. Various embodiments include controlling ablation based on spectroscopic analysis of ablated material. This may be done by generating and delivering an initial optical pulse to a surface, causing particles of material to be emitted through ablation. These particles may be analyzed to at least partially determine the material's composition and, using the analysis of material composition, to adjust pulse energy and/or stop ablation. In some embodiments, Composition Sensor 290 includes a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS). In other embodiments, Composition Sensor 290 includes luminescence, fluorescence mass analysis, and/or atomic adsorption analysis of material being ablated.

Because different materials may be responsive to different wavelengths and may have different ablation thresholds, different wavelengths and pulse energies can be used to selectively ablate different parts of circuits composed of multiple materials. For example, ablation can be controlled by sensing a material included in a stop-indication layer or by sensing a difference in composition occurring on the surface of, or within the circuit. A stop-indication layer has a different composition than the material to be ablated. In various embodiments, a laser can be configured to ablate material at a spot until the stop-indication layer is exposed and identified. Further, knowing the ablation thresholds of the materials in a circuit can allow for adjustment of the parameters of the laser pulses so that only a targeted material is ablated from the circuit.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting various embodiments of a method of operation of an exemplary circuit trimming system. In this method, laser pulses of near-infrared wavelength are generated and aimed at a spot on a circuit. The laser pulses are then delivered to the spot, to ablate material from the spot. As the material is ablated, the performance of the circuit can be monitored and tested to determine whether performance meets specifications or whether further trimming is required.

More specifically, in Generate Laser Pulses Step 310, a laser device generates optical laser pulses of near-infrared wavelength, using Pulse Generator 210. The generation of laser pulses may occur automatically according to preset parameters, or laser pulse generation may optionally follow instructions received through Input 220 and carried out by Controller 230. For example, the laser device may be programmed for trimming silicon circuits. In such a case, optimal ablation can be achieved with the laser pulses having a set of known parameters. Further, the optimal settings to produce such laser pulses may already have been preset by a manufacturer or user.

Generate Laser Pulses Step 310 optionally includes using Train Separation Component 255 to generate more than one pulse train.

In a Target Spot Step 320, the laser device is targeted to a spot on a circuit containing the material to be removed. Various embodiments include allowing a user to manually choose the spot. Some embodiments of the present invention are configured to automatically determine one or more spots including material to be ablated to achieve circuit trimming. In these embodiments, Target Spot Step 320 may be automatically performed using automated positioning equipment.

In a Deliver Step 330, the Delivery Component 250 is used to deliver an optical laser pulse to the spot targeted in Target Spot Step 320. When the power of the laser pulses rises to or above the material's ablation threshold, the material at the spot is ablated. In various embodiments, a single component can perform Target Spot Step 320 and Deliver Step 330. In some embodiments, a plurality of Delivery Component 250 are used to deliver a plurality of laser pulses to different circuits for trimming in parallel, in Deliver Step 330. For example, one embodiments includes delivering a first of at least two pulse trains to a first circuit of the plurality of circuits and delivering a second of the at least two pulse trains to a second circuit of the plurality of circuits.

In an Ablate Material Step 340, material is removed from the spot using the laser pulses delivered to the spot in Deliver Step 330. In various embodiments, Ablate Material Step 340 includes adjustment of laser parameters, either individually or in combination, to produce specific ablation effects on material at a spot on a circuit.

For example, by setting the pulse intensity so that only the brightest part of the laser pulse is above the ablation threshold, the precision of material removal can exceed that of a diffraction limited laser focus. As such, the area of the material ablated may be smaller than the diffraction limited focal spot of the laser. In various embodiments a material ablation area is smaller than ¾, ⅔, ½, ⅓, and ¼ of the diffraction limited focal spot. Trimming, optionally using sub-diffraction limited areas, may include generating at least 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, or 50,000 laser pulses to trim a circuit. In various embodiments, using such numbers of laser pulses, each pulse configured to ablate a relatively small amount of material, results in trimming precision of at least 1 part in 20, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000, and/or 5000.

In various embodiments, Circuit Trimming System 200 is configured to generate laser pulses at repetition rates above 0.5 kHz, such repetition rates allow for practical trimming of circuits in parallel. These circuits may be fabricated from a single wafer or from a plurality of wafers. Rather than trimming each circuit consecutively (e.g., one after another), parallel trimming allows for multiple circuits to be trimmed concurrently. For example, in one approach, a spot on each of a plurality of circuits is ablated in a first ablation phase, then, if needed, material is again ablated from each of the plurality of circuits in a second ablation phase. The first ablation phase and the second ablation phase being separate in time. Parallel trimming can include, but does not require, simultaneous ablation of each circuit. Various embodiments apply the method of the present invention to multiple circuits in parallel. For example, various embodiments may include trimming at least 2, 8, 16, 32, 128, 256 or more circuits in parallel. In various embodiments, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, and/or 200 circuits may be trimmed per minute. Circuits trimmed in parallel may be disposed together on a wafer.

Test Circuit Step 350 includes measuring an indicative property of a performance of the circuit to determine whether circuit performance meets the user's standards or whether further trimming is necessary. In various embodiments, Test Circuit Step 250 may occur continuously or intermittently at throughout the trimming process, including before, during, and/or after each ablation. In various embodiments, trimming in parallel includes testing in parallel. Like parallel ablation, parallel testing is not necessarily simultaneous across multiple circuits. In some embodiments, parallel testing allows for each circuit to be tested between ablation phases.

The embodiments discussed herein are illustrative of the present invention. Therefore, while near-infrared laser pulses are discussed here by way of example, alternative embodiments may include sub-nanosecond laser pulses of other wavelengths. Further, as embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to illustrations, various modifications or adaptations of the methods and or specific structures described may become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such modifications, adaptations, or variations that rely upon the teachings of the present invention, and through which these teachings have advanced the art, are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Hence, these descriptions and drawings should not be considered in a limiting sense, as it is understood that the present invention is in no way limited to only the embodiments illustrated.

Claims

1. A method of removing material from the surface of a first circuit comprising: generating a first laser pulse using a pulse generator;targeting a spot on the first circuit using a focusing component;delivering the first laser pulse to the spot on the first circuit, the first circuit including a digital component;ablating material from the spot using the first laser pulse without changing a state of the digital component; andtesting performance of the first circuit following the step of ablating material, the testing being performed without reinitializing the circuit between the steps of ablating material and testing performance,wherein targeting the spot on the first circuit comprises:covering the first circuit using a thin conformal material configured to emit light when struck by a laser pulse of near-infrared wavelength;generating and delivering a second laser pulse at a sub-ablation power through the thin conformal material, the second laser pulse being configured to cause the thin conformal material to emit light;detecting the light emitted by the thin conformal material; and

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing a composition of the material ablated from the spot.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first laser pulse has a wavelength greater than 1100 nanometers and a duration of less than 10 picoseconds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first laser pulse has a wavelength greater than 1350 nanometers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first laser pulse is delivered as a member of a train of pulses having a repetition rate of at least 1 kHz.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an area from which the material is ablated has a diameter less than a diameter of a diffraction limited focal spot of the first laser pulse.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein ablating the material comprises generating at least 5000 laser pulses including the first laser pulse.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein ablating the material comprises generating at least 500 laser pulses.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising ablating material from another spot in parallel with the step of ablating material from the spot.

10. The method of claim 1, further including generating a second laser pulse and using the second laser pulse to trim a second circuit in parallel with the first circuit.

11. The method of claim 1, further including ablating material from a second circuit using a second laser pulse and testing performance of the second circuit, in parallel with the steps of ablating material from the spot using the first laser pulse and testing performance of the first circuit.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating a first laser pulse includes compressing the first laser pulse using an optical fiber.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating a first laser pulse includes amplifying the first laser pulse using an optical fiber.