Femtosecond laser in pulsed mode for top-down impact drilling of glass.
The Laser-Matter Interaction Research Group at the Institute of Intense Lasers and Applications (CELIA) at the University of Bordeaux, France, has explored a new method of micro-drilling glass using femtosecond lasers in the GHz pulsed mode. The related research was recently published in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing.
Using femtosecond lasers in the GHz pulsed state, the research team devised a new method of glass micromachining that can drill taper-free, elongated holes with smooth inner walls and no cracks in the glass. Typically, drilling with a standard single femtosecond pulsed laser yields tapered holes with limited length and rough inner surfaces.
This new laser-matter interaction mechanism allows drilling holes with high aspect ratios directly in one step without any chemical etching. The choice of laser pulse parameters is very important to obtain good microfabrication quality. The femtosecond laser ghz burst mode may pave the way for new applications such as microelectronics, where silicon intermediates are likely to be replaced by glass intermediates.
