Novel thin-film technologies (e.g. spraying, printing) on innovative substrates (e.g. PET, polymer foils, paper) require new annealing technologies for surface modification.
Electric, optical and mechanical properties of such layers deposited at low temperatures need to be improved by annealing steps, e.g. for crystallization, drying or simply to evaporate solvents. 
The annealing of such layers is a great challenge in the case of heat sensitive substrates. Conventional annealing methods like oven or RTP anneal may cause irreversible damage, since the whole substrate is heated.
Therefore, novel annealing techniques in the millisecond or microsecond range are of great interest, since they allow heat management for thin layers at the surface.