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

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. However, conventional mechanical processing methods often require large forces, leading to crack formation and potential breakage of the substrate. Femtosecond lasers offer a solution for processing hard and brittle materials like ceramics, ensuring the highest quality and accuracy.

The FemtoLux 30 was tested in the initial step of scribing ceramic materials – in forming grooves. A comprehensive study was conducted to investigate the scribing speeds and quality using 1030, 515, and 343 nm wavelengths. To estimate the influence of shorter wavelengths, 3 mm length and 50 μm deep grooves were formed on the sample surface. As a result, scribing speeds of 44.1 mm/s were achieved with the 1030 nm wavelength, and the heat-affected zone was reduced from 8.23 μm to 4.88 μm when using the 343 nm wavelength. Additionally, the required depth could be controlled by tuning the pulse energy, with demonstrated depths of 30, 50, and 70 μm.

50 µm depth groove formation in ceramic.

50 µm depth groove formation in ceramic.

Courtesy of FTMC.

Profiles of formed groove

Profiles of 30, 50 and 70 µm depth grooves.

Courtesy of FTMC.

Optical 3D profilometer image of formed groove.

Courtesy of FTMC.

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