Application of a phase-grating beamsplitter in laser-processing indium-tin-oxide films for liquid crystal panels

Array illumination built on a binary phase grating with a green, Q-switched, pulse Nd:YAG laser is used for patterning indium-tin-oxide films into electrodes of liquid crystal display panels. To this end, even-fanout gratings are recursively designed by simulated-annealing algorithm and are realized in quartz glasses by dry-etching. While an array of identically intense beam spots strikes the film, a table supporting the film moves in a direction orthogonal to said spots array at a constant speed, forming a large group of equi-spaced grooves in the film. A machining yield of 1600 mm/s has been attained using a 32X1 grating.