Hybrid deburring process assisted by a large pulsed electron beam (LPEB) for laser-fabricated patterned metal masks

The quality of pixels on displays and semiconductors is directly related to the surface quality of the patterned metal mask used. Burrs generated on the patterned metal mask can degrade the quality of pixels on microelectronic devices during the deposition process. In this study, experimental observations of abrasive deburring along with large pulsed electron beam (LPEB) irradiation were performed to evaluate the deburring effects on patterned metal masks. Numerical modeling of LPEB irradiation approximately predicted melting depths and the experimental studies revealed limitations in the size of burrs removed by LPEB irradiation. Thus a LPEB-assisted hybrid deburring process was developed to eliminate burrs of metal masks regardless of their size. The size of burrs remaining after the LPEB-assisted hybrid deburring process was reduced to approximately 7.2 μm which was much less than the results of abrasive deburring alone (38.01 μm). The burr size distribution was reduced by 85% and surface roughness (Ra) was decreased from 640 nm to 121 nm, indicating a uniform surface texture.