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<< Figure 2: Advantages of cold ablation.


Plexiglass ablated (1 mm x 1 mm, top) and drilled (0.8 mm, bottom) with a short-pulse laser (left)


and with an ultra-short- pulse (USP) laser. USP lasering shows clean edges, without deformations. >>


Besides pulse duration, the laser wave length — infrared, green or ultra violet — is essential. Furthermore, use of a fixed optical system or a scanner optic has to be considered. CSEM carried out a benchmark review comparing various laser systems with complementary micro structuring approaches for different applications: structuring of polymers, writing of optical wave guides and 3D prototyping.


The best trade-off between high resolution and ablation rates, robust process parameters and a wide range of materials which can be processed is given by the class of pico second lasers. Three types have been realised: rod laser, fibre laser and disk laser. The rod laser needs strong cooling, a fibre laser limits the power which can be extracted — disk lasers on the other side can be cooled efficiently and they offer high power.


>> Continued on page 20


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19 | commercial micro manufacturing international Vol 6 No.6


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