IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,736,790
Granted Patent B2
US 12,736,790 · App. 18/236,382 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Optical apparatus for laser annealing

Inventors: Russell A. Budd (North Salem, NY); Jason S. Orcutt (Katonah, NY); Eric Zhang (Sleepy Hollow, NY); Yves Martin (Ossining, NY)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
G02B21/006B23K26/032B23K26/0643B23K26/0648B23K26/067B23K26/351B23K26/705G02B21/082H10N60/0884H10N60/0912
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,736,790
App. No.
18/236,382
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical microscope device comprises an optically integrated configuration of components for imaging a target device within a field of view of the optical microscope device, and for laser annealing the target device by generating a laser beam spot pattern from a laser beam received on an optical fiber from a remote laser source, and for controlling a duration of exposure of the laser beam spot pattern for laser annealing the target device.

Claims (36)

1 . An optical apparatus, comprising:

a collimator configured to receive an optical beam through an optical fiber coupled to an optical source and to generate a collimated optical beam;

an optical beam shaper configured to receive the collimated optical beam and to split the collimated optical beam into a plurality of optical beams in accordance with an optical beam pattern configured to laser anneal a target device;

a first set of optical components configured to receive the plurality of optical beams and to manipulate the plurality of optical beams with respect to the target device; and

an imager configured to generate an image of the target device in a field of view of the optical apparatus.

2 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber comprises a single-mode polarization-maintaining optical fiber.

3 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a beam shutter operatively coupled between the collimator and the optical beam shaper and configured to affect an exposure time for laser annealing the target device.

4 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical beam shaper comprises a diffractive optical element configured to selectively determine the optical beam pattern for laser annealing the target device.

5 . The optical apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the optical beam pattern is selectively determined from a set of different spot geometries.

6 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a light source configured to generate light; and

a second set of optical components configured to manipulate the light generated by the light source to illuminate the target device in the field of view of the optical apparatus and prevent the light source from being visible in the image of the target device.

7 . The optical apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the light source comprises a light-emitting diode.

8 . The optical apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second set of optical components comprises:

a lens configured to manipulate the light generated by the light source to generate an illumination beam along a first optical path;

a mirror configured to redirect the illumination beam along a second optical path; and

a beam splitter disposed in the second optical path and configured to split the illumination beam to propagate the illumination beam in a third optical path between the imager and the field of view of optical apparatus.

9 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first set of optical components comprises one or more lens and one or more mirrors operatively coupled to manipulate the plurality of optical beams.

10 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a power monitor configured to monitor a power level of the collimated optical beam.

11 . The optical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least the collimator, the optical beam shaper, the first set of optical components, and the imager are arranged in a modular configuration to portably integrate with an electrical characterization system configured to measure one or more electrical characteristics of the target device in conjunction with the laser annealing caused by the optical source.

12 . A system, comprising:

a control system; and

an optical apparatus comprising:

a collimator configured to receive an optical beam through an optical fiber coupled to an optical source and to generate a collimated optical beam;

an optical beam shaper configured to receive the collimated optical beam and to split the collimated optical beam into a plurality of optical beams in accordance with an optical beam pattern configured to laser anneal a target device;

a set of optical components configured to receive the plurality of optical beams and to manipulate the plurality of optical beams with respect to the target device; and

an imager configured to generate an image of the target device in a field of view of the optical apparatus;

wherein the control system controls at least a portion of the optical apparatus to enable laser annealing of the target device.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the optical apparatus further comprises a beam shutter operatively coupled between the collimator and the optical beam shaper and configured to affect an exposure time for laser annealing the target device.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the optical beam shaper of the optical apparatus further comprises a diffractive optical element configured to selectively determine the optical beam pattern for laser annealing the target device.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the control system is configured to process the image of the target device generated by the imager and cause alignment of the target device in the field of view of the optical apparatus to the optical beam pattern for laser annealing the target device.

16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the target device comprises a Josephson junction of a superconducting quantum bit.

17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein at least the collimator, the optical beam shaper, the set of optical components, and the imager of the optical apparatus are arranged in a modular configuration to portably integrate with an electrical characterization system configured to measure one or more electrical characteristics of the target device in conjunction with the laser annealing caused by the optical source.

18 . An optical microscope device comprising an optically integrated configuration of components for imaging a target device within a field of view of the optical microscope device, and for laser annealing the target device by generating a laser beam spot pattern from a laser beam received on an optical fiber from a remote laser source, and for controlling a duration of exposure of the laser beam spot pattern for laser annealing the target device.

19 . The optical microscope device of claim 18 , wherein the optical microscope device comprises a modular device which is configured for mounting to an electrical characterization system to enable in-situ electrical characterization of the target device in conjunction with laser annealing.

20 . The optical microscope device of claim 19 , wherein the electrical characterization system comprises a wafer-scale prober unit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2023
From: BUDD, RUSSELL A.; ORCUTT, JASON S.; ZHANG, ERIC; MARTIN, YVES
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064735/0007 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250067967A1 · Feb 27, 2025
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