Process and Information Document
#A-117
Cleanroom Facility, Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
ITO/Glass short repair using Laser Repair Station
This procedure uses the Laser Repair Station.
The Laser Repair Station is located in the Cleanroom Class 10000 South area.
The Laser Repair Station requires only electrical power for operation.
The Laser Repair Station uses a focused laser to burn through ITO and thus can be used
to clear shorts created during photolithography due to particle contamination. This
procedure is intended to allow someone to repair an occasional short in a single substrate.
It is very time consuming so substrates should be tested with an Ohm meter before laser
repair is attempted to determine if a substrate is a suitable candidate for laser repair. If
there are many shorts o n the substrate, it might be easier to go back and makemore
substrates being more diligent in cleaning the substrates, the masks, and the working
environment to ensure fewer shorts in the photolithographic process. If there are very
few shorts or the substrate (or time) is precious, then laser repair might be a good plan.
Gloves and safety glasses should be worn while doing this procedure. .Gloves are worn
to protect your work piece and the machine from hand oils. Glasses are worn to prevent
any stray glass chips from getting into your eyes from the glass scriber station adjacent to
the laser repair station. Even if no one is using the glass scriber at the time you are using
the laser repair station, it is cleanroom policy that safety glasses should be worn at all
times for your own protection.
The essence of using the Laser Repair Station is as follows:
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Place the substrate on the ledges of the acrylic plates and secure.
With an optical lens in position, focus on the surface of the substrate.
Open up an appropriate sized laser aperture.
Set the laser firing mode to ‘single shot’.
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The above information is intended to give a general overview of the process and not
enough information has been given for anyone to use the acetone stripper chemical
without additional formal training and certification. Should you need to do resist
stripping, please request formal training for the use of this machine from facility staff.
Training sessions are scheduled as staff have time and you may have to wait a week or so
until a time slot can be created and to allow for multiple users desiring the same training
to be assembled into a group.
Only Cleanroom Staff are allowed to train users on the use of cleanroom facility
equipment and processes. Please do not ask others in the department, your company or in
your research group to assist you to avoid formal training and certification. If training is
given by unendorsed individuals, both the trainer and trainee will lose cleanroom use
privileges for a period of time deemed appropriate by facility staff.