Programmable picosecond pulse packets for micromachining withmultiwatt UV fiber lasers

摘要

Nanosecond class lasers have been the mainstay of optical machining for decades, delivering pulses with high fluences (>1 J/cm~2) that cause many material sets to undergo thermally-induced phase changes to cause removal of matter. While in many cases their delivery of sheer laser power has proved useful, nanosecond lasers have fallen short of addressing current micromachining requirements with respect to decreased feature sizes and more complex substrates. One main issue is the laser pulse width endures throughout the ablation process, depositing energy is deposited into plasma formation and local material heating. Plasma shielding takes place when the laser pulse energy contributes to plasma formation to a greater extent than direct material ablation processes. The result is a crude "plasma cutter" of the substrate, leaving a telltale trail of localized dross and droplet deposition. Nanosecond lasers of sufficient process speeds are typically Q-switched with repetition rates less than 200 kHz. As a result, the scribed lines are made of a sequence of "blast events" that result in a variety of undesired consequences and a limited process speed.