Removal of selected portions of protective coatings from substrates

1. A method for selectively removing a protective coating from a substrate, comprising:

applying a protective coating to a substrate comprising a masked component and a second un-masked component; and

selectively cutting at least a portion of the protective coating over the masked component with a removal medium comprising a continuous laser light and selectively cutting at least a portion of the protective coating over the second un-masked component with a pulsed laser light.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the protective coating comprises applying a poly(p-xylylene) coating to the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively cutting at least the portion of the protective coating comprises exposing a periphery of at least one portion of the substrate through the protective coating.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein exposing the periphery of the at least one portion of the substrate comprises exposing a periphery of a selected feature of the substrate.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein exposing at least the periphery of the at least one portion of the substrate comprises exposing the protective coating to a laser beam.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

exposing an area of the substrate delineated by the periphery of the at least one portion of the substrate.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the area is exposed by scanning the laser beam across a region of the protective coating located over the area of the substrate.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein scanning comprises raster scanning the laser beam across the region of the protective coating.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively cutting comprises selectively cutting at least the portion of the protective coating with a laser beam having a wavelength from 248 nanometers (nm) to 266 nm.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein selectively cutting comprises selectively cutting at least the portion of the protective coating with a laser beam generated by a diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) laser.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein selectively cutting comprises selectively cutting at least the portion of the protective coating with a laser beam generated by an excimer laser or an exciplex laser.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively cutting at least the portion of the protective coating comprises automatedly cutting at least the portion of the protective coating.

13. A method for selectively removing a protective coating from a substrate, comprising:

applying a poly(p-xylylene) coating to a substrate comprising a masked component and a second un-masked component; and

selectively removing at least one portion of the protective coating from at least one portion of the substrate with a plurality of laser beams, wherein a first laser beam of the plurality of laser beams generates a continuous laser beam over the masked component and a second laser beam of the plurality of laser beams generates a pulsed laser beam over the second un-masked component.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein selectively removing the at least one portion of the protective coating comprises cutting a periphery of the at least one portion of the protective coating to expose a portion of the substrate located outside of an outer periphery of a selected feature of the substrate.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein selectively removing comprises use of at least one of a laser beam that discharges continuously and a laser beam that discharges in a pulsed manner.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein selectively removing the at least one portion of the protective coating comprises exposing locations of the protective coating over a selected feature of the substrate with a wide laser beam.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

positioning a template over a portion of the substrate, the template including at least one aperture exposing the at least one portion of the protective coating to be removed with the wide laser beam, a solid region of the template covering and preventing removal of a remainder of the protective coating from a remainder of the substrate.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein selectively removing the at least one portion of the protective coating is automated.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

positioning the substrate in a first position for cutting the protective coating with a narrow laser beam.

20. The method of claim 19 , comprising moving the narrow laser beam around a periphery of the selected feature to cut a periphery of the at least one portion of the protective coating.

21. A method for selectively removing a protective coating from a substrate, comprising:

applying a mask to at least one feature on a portion of a substrate;

applying a poly(p-xylylene) coating to the at least one feature and the portion of the substrate and a second feature of the substrate; and

selectively removing at least one portion of the poly(p-xylylene) coating from the at least one feature with a continuous laser light and selectively removing at least one portion of the poly(p-xylylene) coating from the second feature of the substrate with a pulsed laser light.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein selectively removing the at least one portion of the protective coating from the at least one feature comprising cutting a perimeter of the at least one portion of the protective coating around the mask.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein selectively removing the at least one portion of the protective coating further includes, after cutting the perimeter of the at least one portion of the protective coating, peeling the mask and the at least one portion of the protective coating away from the at least one feature.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

positioning an aperture of a template over the at least one feature to exposed a selected portion of the protective coating over the at least one feature, a solid region of the template covering and preventing removal of a remainder of the protective coating from a remainder of the substrate.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein cutting and peeling of the protective coating are automated.