The increase in complexity and density of integrated circuits brings new
manufacturing challenges to the semiconductor industry. Semiconductor wafers
for instance see their thickness decrease, use multiple materials, and
exhibit smaller feature sizes. Traditional manufacturing methods are reaching their
limits.
The quality and accuracy of material processing enabled by ultrafast lasers
make them a tool of choice for these new applications. In selective ablation
processes for instance, it is possible to remove a thin layer of material, a
few tens of nanometers thick, without affecting the underlying layer.

In another example, wafer dicing is a process where a full wafer is cut into
individual chips. Traditionally performed with a diamond saw, this important
manufacturing step benefits from advances in laser processing.
As ultrafast laser technology reaches new heights in reliability, robustness
and performance, advantages such as higher yield and lower cost of ownership
are being realized without sacrificing throughput.