Product Code: ICAL05_M407

Ultrashort Pulse Laser Micromachining Performance Enhancements
Authors:
Benjamin Campbell, Penn State Electro-Optics Center; Freeport PA USA
Jeffrey Thomas, Penn State Electro-Optics Center; Freeport PA USA
Vladimir Semak, Penn State Electro-Optics Center; Freeport PA USA
Presented at ICALEO 2005

Lasers have long been promised to be a revolutionary technology for manufacturing, but have not yet achieved the anticipated market penetration. Major hurdles still exist in bringing new technologies, such as ultrashort pulse lasers, to the manufacturing floor, the first being easily repeatable, high quality laser micromachining. We explored methods to improve the spatial and temporal beam quality of a femtosecond laser system in an effort to reduce melt and heat affected zone using percussion and trepanning drilling techniques in the semiconductor HgCdTe. Drilling results will be presented of experiments conducted using spatial filters, beam homogenizers, and second harmonic generation at various laser pulse energies. We report the process parameters that produced the cleanest holes with minimal melt and ejected material.