Laser patterning skew correction

Abstract

A laser patterning alignment method provides a way to position a target at a working distance in a laser patterning system such that fiducial marks on the target are positioned in view of at least three laser patterning system cameras, and with each laser patterning system camera, to locate a fiducial mark on the target and sending location data of the located fiducial mark to a controller, to determine corrections required to align expected fiducial mark locations with the sent fiducial mark location data, and to adjust the laser patterning system with the determined corrections.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A laser patterning alignment method, comprising:
 positioning a target at a working distance in a laser patterning system such that fiducial marks on the target are positioned in view of at least three laser patterning system cameras;   with each laser patterning system camera, locating a fiducial mark on the target and sending location data of the located fiducial mark to a controller;   determining corrections required to align expected fiducial mark locations with the sent fiducial mark location data; and   adjusting the laser patterning system with the determined corrections.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining corrections includes applying a two-dimensional affine transformation. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the affine transformation includes corrections for scale, translation, rotation, and shear. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the laser patterning system includes a plurality of component lasers each configured to scan across a corresponding component laser patterning field, and wherein the adjustment of the laser patterning system adjusts each component laser patterning field. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the component laser patterning fields utilize a global coordinate system. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising positioning the at least three laser patterning system cameras to be aligned with expected fiducial mark locations. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising illuminating expected mark locations with one or more seed lasers or aiming lasers of the laser patterning system. 
     
     
         8 . A method of high-precision laser material processing on a laser patterning target, comprising:
 aligning three or more cameras in relation to expected fiducial mark locations that are illuminated by one or more laser beams scannable in a laser scanning field defined at least in part by the expected fiducial mark locations;   loading a first target having actual fiducial marks thereon such that the actual fiducial marks are in view of the three or more cameras;   detecting the actual fiducial mark locations on the first target and sending the detected actual fiducial mark locations to a controller;   determining in the controller an affine transformation laser scanning field correction and applying the affine transformation laser scanning field correction to the laser scanning field such that the one or more laser beams are scannable in the corrected laser scanning field; and   processing the first target using the corrected laser scanning field.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 after the first target is processed, detecting the actual fiducial mark locations and sending the detected actual fiducial mark locations to the controller; and   determining a post-process error in actual fiducial mark locations.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 removing the affine transformation laser scanning field correction to the expected fiducial mark locations;   removing the first target from view of the laser scanning field; and   loading a second target having actual fiducial marks thereon such that the actual fiducial marks are in view of the three or more cameras.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the affine transformation includes corrections for scale, translation, rotation, and shear. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the laser scanning field includes a plurality patterning system includes a plurality of component lasers each configured to scan across a corresponding component laser patterning field, and wherein the adjustment of the laser patterning system adjusts each component laser patterning field. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the laser scanning field utilizes a global coordinate system.