Since the development of thick film hybrid microelectronic processing, there has been a need for methods to adjust for tighter tolerances for electrical components through a trimming process. Components/elements, as produced, show a tolerance of the order of ±10% due to the variability of the screen printing process associated with film curing conditions. The methods that have arisen from this need encompass a variety of technologies and techniques. The usefulness of each method is based on its operation, flexibility, repeatability, and post-trim effects on the resistor's reliability.

The work in this thesis concerns the laser trimming of resistor components to a tight tolerance. It is the objective of this thesis to address the performance of an Nd:YAG laser operation and interface with a computer. The first task involves a computer hardware system to be interfaced to the laser control system, this task includes both design and implementation. The second task consists of a software operating environment to be flowcharted, written, and tested. The third task involves the computer interface driving the laser in the process of trimming resistor components using different types of cuts. The trimmed resistor performance is evaluated as part of the study.