Parallel assembly of discrete components onto a substrate
A method includes transferring multiple discrete components from a first substrate to a second substrate, including illuminating multiple regions on a top surface of a dynamic release layer, the dynamic release layer adhering the multiple discrete components to the first substrate, each of the irradiated regions being aligned with a corresponding one of the discrete components. The illuminating induces a plastic deformation in each of the irradiated regions of the dynamic release layer. The plastic deformation causes at least some of the discrete components to be concurrently released from the first substrate.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a substrate assembly, including:
a substrate,
a dynamic release layer disposed on a surface of the substrate, and
multiple discrete components adhered to the substrate by the dynamic release layer; and
an optical system including at least one optical element configured to separate a laser beam from a source of laser energy into multiple beamlets, each beamlet configured to illuminate a corresponding region on a top surface of the dynamic release layer,
wherein the optical system has:
(i) a first configuration in which the at least one optical element is in the path of the laser beam between the source of laser energy and the dynamic release layer, in which when the optical system is in the first configuration, the optical element separates the laser beam into the multiple beamlets; and
(ii) a second configuration in which the optical element is not in the path of the laser beam between the source of laser energy and the dynamic release layer, in which when the optical system is in the second configuration, the laser beam is incident on the top surface of the dynamic release layer at a location corresponding to a location of one of the discrete components.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the at least one optical element is configured to separate the laser beam from the source into an irradiation pattern including the multiple beamlets, each beamlet of the irradiation pattern configured to illuminate a particular location on a given discrete component.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , in which the irradiation pattern comprises multiple groups, and in which the optical system comprises:
a first optical element configured to separate the laser beam from the source into the irradiation pattern; and
a second optical element configured to separate the irradiation pattern into an output including multiple groups, each group having the irradiation pattern.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , in which the first and second optical elements each comprise a diffractive optical element.
5. The apparatus of claim 2 , in which the irradiation pattern comprises multiple beamlets, and in which the optical system comprises:
a first optical element configured to separate the laser beam from the source into the multiple beamlets; and
a second optical element configured to separate each of the multiple beamlets into an output having the irradiation pattern.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a scanning mechanism configured to scan the output of the optical system to multiple regions of the dynamic release layer, each region of the dynamic release layer adhering a subset of the multiple discrete components to the substrate.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a controller configured to control an alignment of the laser beam with the location of one of the discrete components based on information indicative of one or more of a characteristic and a quality of each of one or more of the discrete components.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the optical system comprises:
a first optical element configured to separate the laser beam into a first number of beamlets;
a second optical element configured to separate the laser beam into a second number of beamlets; and
a switching mechanism configured to position the first optical element or the second optical element in the path of the laser beam.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which one or more of a wavelength and fluence of each beamlet of the laser energy is sufficient to induce an ablation of at least a partial thickness of the dynamic release layer in each of the irradiated regions, the ablation of the partial thickness inducing a deformation in each of the irradiated regions.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which an adhesion of the dynamic release layer is responsive to a stimulus.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the discrete components comprise LEDs.
12. An apparatus comprising:
a substrate assembly, including:
a substrate,
a dynamic release layer disposed on a surface of the substrate, and
multiple discrete components adhered to the substrate by the dynamic release layer; and
an optical system including at least one optical element configured to separate a laser beam from a source of laser energy into multiple beamlets, each beamlet configured to illuminate a corresponding region on a top surface of the dynamic release layer,
wherein the optical system includes:
a first optical element configured to separate the laser beam into a first number of beamlets;
a second optical element configured to separate the laser beam into a second number of beamlets; and
a switching mechanism configured to position the first optical element or the second optical element in the path of the laser beam.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , in which the at least one optical element is configured to separate the laser beam from the source into an irradiation pattern including the multiple beamlets, each beamlet of the irradiation pattern configured to illuminate a particular location on a given discrete component.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , in which the irradiation pattern comprises multiple groups, and in which the optical system comprises:
a first optical element configured to separate the laser beam from the source into the irradiation pattern; and
a second optical element configured to separate the irradiation pattern into an output including multiple groups, each group having the irradiation pattern.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , in which the first and second optical elements each comprise a diffractive optical element.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 , in which the irradiation pattern comprises multiple beamlets, and in which the optical system comprises:
a first optical element configured to separate the laser beam from the source into the multiple beamlets; and
a second optical element configured to separate each of the multiple beamlets into an output having the irradiation pattern.
17. The apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a scanning mechanism configured to scan the output of the optical system to multiple regions of the dynamic release layer, each region of the dynamic release layer adhering a subset of the multiple discrete components to the substrate.
18. The apparatus of claim 12 , in which the optical system has:
(i) a first configuration in which the at least one optical element is in the path of the laser beam between the source of laser energy and the dynamic release layer, in which when the optical system is in the first configuration, the optical element separates the laser beam into the multiple beamlets; and
(ii) a second configuration in which the optical element is not in the path of the laser beam between the source of laser energy and the dynamic release layer, in which when the optical system is in the second configuration, the laser beam is incident on the top surface of the dynamic release layer at a location corresponding to a location of one of the discrete components.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , comprising a controller configured to control an alignment of the laser beam with the location of one of the discrete components based on information indicative of one or more of a characteristic and a quality of each of one or more of the discrete components.
20. The apparatus of claim 12 , in which one or more of a wavelength and fluence of each beamlet of the laser energy is sufficient to induce an ablation of at least a partial thickness of the dynamic release layer in each of the irradiated regions, the ablation of the partial thickness inducing a deformation in each of the irradiated regions.
21. The apparatus of claim 12 , in which an adhesion of the dynamic release layer is responsive to a stimulus.
22. The apparatus of claim 12 , in which the discrete components comprise LEDs.