LASER ABLATION OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES

摘要

The present invention relates to methods of fabricating electronic devices using laser ablation and to devices fabricated thereby. Embodiments of the methods are particularly suitable for defining electrodes within thin film transistor (TFT) structures using laser ablation in a step-and-repeat mode. A method of fabricating an electronic device, the device comprising a plurality of layers on a substrate, the layers including an upper conductive layer and at least one patterned underlying layer between said conductive layer and said substrate, the method comprising: patterning said underlying layer; and patterning said upper conductive layer by laser ablation using a stepwise process in which successive areas of said upper conductive layer are ablated by successively applied laser patterns; wherein said successively applied laser patterns overlap one another in an overlap region; and wherein said method further comprises configuring a said laser pattern and said patterned underlying layer with respect to one another such that in a said overlap region said patterned underlying layer is substantially undamaged by said stepwise laser ablation.