Other materials

Compared to traditional methods, femtosecond lasers with their very short pulse durations offer superior precision. Complex 3D structures as well as non-conventional shapes can be obtained.

Glass Metal Polymer Other materials
Other materials

Ceramic processing with GHz burst

Femtosecond lasers have proven to be highly effective for processing ceramics, offering superior precision compared to traditional mechanical methods. However, they often fall short in terms of throughput. Several strategies can be employed to increase the processing rate, such as increasing the repetition rate, performing beam splitting, or enlarging the spot size. Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. A novel approach to increasing the throughput is the use of GHz bursts, which are trains of femtosecond pulses with intra-burst repetition rates in the GHz range. This technique effectively splits a single high-energy pulse into multiple smaller pulses, maximizing the laser power and increasing processing throughput.

In a comprehensive study, the FemtoLux 30 with its GHz burst feature was utilized to investigate the influence of MHz and GHz bursts on processing alumina ceramics. Squares of 1×1 mm2 were milled using different burst modes, and the removed volumes were measured with an optical 3D profilometer. In the result, by using 92 pulses in the GHz burst mode, the process throughput increased from 6.39 mm3/min (single-pulse mode) to 10.38 mm3/min.

Optical 3D profilometer image of milled alumina squares in different operational modes.

Optical 3D profilometer image of milled alumina squares in different operational modes.

Recommended products

FemtoLux

Industrial Femtosecond Lasers
  • 50 W / >300 µJ at 1030 nm
  • 20 W / >50 µJ at 515 nm
  • 10 W / >25 µJ at 343 nm
  • < 350 fs – 1 ps
  • Single shot to 4 MHz (AOM controlled)
  • MHz, GHz, MHz+GHz burst modes

Similar applications

50 µm depth groove formation in ceramic.
Femtosecond laser formation of grooves in ceramic

Ceramics are popular dielectric materials known for their exceptional properties, including thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, mechanical strength, and resistance to corrosion and wear. Femtosecond lasers offer a solution for processing hard and brittle materials like ceramics, ensuring the highest quality and accuracy.
Optical 3D profilometer image of milled alumina squares in different operational modes.
Ceramic processing with GHz burst

A novel approach to increasing the throughput is the use of GHz bursts, which are trains of femtosecond pulses with intra-burst repetition rates in the GHz range. This technique effectively splits a single high-energy pulse into multiple smaller pulses, maximizing the laser power and increasing processing throughput.
Groove formation in GaAs in water environment.
Femtosecond processing of GaAs in ambient air and water environment

Processing semiconductor materials such as Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) using ultrashort laser pulses presents unique challenges due to heat accumulation and the need for precise, high-quality modifications. Femtosecond lasers are particularly well-suited for this task, offering minimal thermal impact and high precision.
Cutting of FZ-Si wafer.
Femtosecond laser cutting of FZ‑Si wafer

Float zone silicon wafer (FZ-Si (100), 0.4 mm thickness) was processed with FemtoLux 30 resulting in high processing quality – low heat affected zone and absence of damage on the bottom surface.
SSAIL technology on PI.
Selective Surface Activation Induced by Laser (SSAIL)

SSAIL is a new technology developed by Center for Physical Sciences and Technology and Akonner for writing electronic circuits directly onto the dielectric material.
Heat-sensitive organic material cutting.
Heat-sensitive organic material processing with femtosecond laser

Organic materials are typically very sensitive to induced heat, which can cause warping and burnt edges during processing. Femtosecond lasers are an excellent solution for these materials because their ultra-short pulse duration prevents significant heat transfer to the material’s lattice, ensuring high accuracy and quality processing.
All applications