Excimer laser ablation of aluminum nitride

Excimer laser wavelengths ablate aluminum nitride at rates up to 0.2 mu m/pulse where the rate increases with decreasing background pressure and increasing fluence. The ablation threshold for AlN at 248 nm is approximately 2 J/cm(2). Blind vias are produced with flat bottoms, straight walls, and a decomposed metallic layer remaining on the surface. Ablation rate dependence on fluence saturates at high fluences due to absorption by the ablation plume. The influence of processing variables on ablation rate and ablation mechanisms an discussed. Statistical design of experiments is used to compare data sets.