Excimer laser annealing system
Bois Colombes, France and Tokyo, Japan—An agreement to license its excimer laser annealing system technology to Sumitomo Heavy Industry Ltd. was negotiated by SOPRA last year. In this agreement SOPRA makes available high-pulse-energy excimer laser technology it developed for low-temperature poly-silicon mass (LTPS) production required in the manufacture of thin-film transistors (TFT) for active-matrix liquid crystal displays and organic light-emitting displays.
The SOPRA VEL 1510 is an excimer laser with pulse-to-pulse stability better than 1.5 percent and output up to 23 J at a repetition rate to 10 Hz. This performance enables the same panel production as existing scanning systems but, because of higher laser stability, ensures a higher process yield. Thus the cost of ownership is drastically improved compared to high-repetition-rate laser systems because of a significant reduction in annual maintenance and service.
SOPRA has been developing excimer lasers since 1979 and in the mid-1990s began to specialize in TFT technology. It will continue to serve the market for advanced LTPS and R&D applications. Sumitomo has been supplying laser-annealing systems for several years. The SOPRA technology moves the company to the forefront of the LTPS flat panel display industry.
To learn more about SOPRA contact Marc Stehlé at [email protected].
Industrial Laser Solutions Editors
We edited the content of this article, which was contributed by outside sources, to fit our style and substance requirements. (Editor’s Note: Industrial Laser Solutions has folded as a brand and is now part of Laser Focus World, effective in 2022.)