Product Code: ICAL07_M806

Efficient Laser Material Processing using Beam Shaping Optics
Authors:
Jim Bovatsek, Newport-Spectra Physics; Mountain View CA USA
Rajesh Patel, Newport-Spectra Physics; Mountain View CA USA
Presented at ICALEO 2007

High-power, diode pumped solid state (DPSS) laser processing has become commonplace in both existing and emerging high-tech industries. As these industries grow and mature, there is an increased need for low-cost, high-quality manufacturing techniques. This translates to a demand for increasingly precise and efficient laser processing capabilities. In this work, Newports latest DPSS laser technology is combined with optical beam-shaping techniques to explore the role of intensity distribution in increasing efficiency of laser machining processes. Results for laser thin film removal, scribing, and via-drilling in various materials are compared for the case of Gaussian and uniform (flat top) beam intensity distributions. The effect of beam intensity distribution on both the resulting feature geometry and overall processing efficiency are characterized, with the underlying goal of maximizing the benefits of DPSS laser technology to industrial manufacturing processes.