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Abstract

A coherent beam source, e.g., a laser having a cavity that is unstable in at least one direction, is used to produce a coherent beam having an initial intensity profile. The beam is passed through a relay having a Fourier plane containing a spatial filter that serves as a radiation defining mask. The filter has an aperture size and shape effective to modify the beam such that the modified beam forms an image on a substrate. The to image has an intensity profile that more closely approximates a super-Gaussian profile than the initial profile. For example, when the initial intensity profile is Gaussian, the spatial filter may allow passage of only unattenuated the central core of the beam and block completely blocks the wings of the Guassian profile. The modified beam may be more suitable for use in a scanning system used to anneal wafers or other substrates containing integrated circuits.

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