FEATURE: ULTRAFAST LASERS
g Also, due to the higher intensity of energy that needs to be handled when using higher average power ultrafast sources, optics with higher damage thresholds – beam splitters, beam expanders, DOEs – need to be used to deliver their beam. ‘We are continuously finding better solutions for wielding higher average powers through our involvement in R&D projects,’ said Ramos. ‘In HIPERDIAS, we have successfully collaborated in the integration of an experimental femtosecond laser with 1kW average power within one of our machines. In doing this we did come up against limitations where the optical components we were using could be damaged, however we were able to find solutions to these issues. This
demonstrates that collaborative projects such as this will be key for developing the optical solutions required to wield the higher average power ultrafast sources emerging.’ HIPERDIAS and PoLaRoll will be coming to
a close this year, with the prototype systems under development expected to be turned into commercial solutions for industry in the next couple of years, according to Ramos. In addition to the advancements made
to polygon scanners to improve the capabilities of ultrafast laser processing – as is being done within the LAMpAS and PoLaRoll projects – galvanometer- based scanning technology is also being developed further to meet modern application demands.
‘As a manufacturer of scan heads for
ultrafast lasers, we are looking to move towards more complex technology, as we can see that processes involving these sources are getting more and more complex,’ confirmed Flemmer. ‘For example, we have a very fast galvo-based 3D shifter called Excellishift that can be used for 3D-scanning – most applications are currently based on 2D-scanning. This scanner is as fast as our 2D-scanning systems and enables the fast structuring of 3D surfaces. This has applications in the tool making industry, for example for texturing plastic moulds to improve the aesthetics of the final product. ‘We also offer another complex system
g CATERING TO THE CUSTOMER
At the Laser World of Photonics this year, a panel discussion took place during the ‘International Laser Marketplace’ forum, in which attendees were provided with an update of the state of ultrafast laser development. Two current key applications
for ultrafast lasers were identified by the panel to be glass cutting and the dicing of silicon wafers – both of which are prime examples of how lasers are replacing conventional mechanical methods. According to Thomas Merk, executive vice president and general manager for industrial lasers and systems at Coherent, wafer dicing in particular has recently become particularly difficult to perform mechanically due to the wafers having become increasingly thin – down to below 100µm thickness. He explained that ultrafast lasers are now being used as a suitable alternative to these mechanical methods, and that this application of ultrafast laser technology is still in its early stages. In addition to the continued
trend towards higher average powers in ultrafast lasers, the key takeaways for me from the panel discussion were that for the uptake of ultrafast lasers to be increased – it was said that the ultrafast laser market volume is still less than $500 million, less than 10 per cent of the total laser market volume – manufacturers need to reduce the cost and increase the flexibility of their systems. They also need to
26 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE AUTUMN 2019
further develop the applications of ultrafast laser technology, and provide close support to the integrators and users working with their systems. ‘The ultrafast laser industry is at an early stage still, and I think it’s beneficial to develop systems that have high flexibility and high average power, which can be adjusted more easily to the demands of the customer,’ said Berthold Schmidt, managing director of research and development at Trumpf. ‘I think what is happening in this industry is that single use lasers are going away, and I expect customers will work more closely on reducing capital spending in the future. Therefore, having lasers that after one production cycle can be readjusted and reused for a slightly different application is probably the way to go, so we have to go there.’ Schmidt added that he’s already starting to see a tendency toward variable pulses and adjustable repetition rates emerging in ultrafast laser technology. Merk remarked that because
industry is still transitioning from working with classical mechanical applications to working with lasers, in addition to reducing the cost of ultrafast lasers, laser manufacturers should also be investing money into further developing the applications of the technology. He added that creating a package around these applications, including
Panellists discussed the ongoing developments and trends in the ultrafast laser regime at the International Laser Marketplace this year
the required beam delivery technology, would help system integrators and machine builders deliver a proven solution to end users, which would help increase the uptake of ultrafast lasers considerably. In response to a question as
to whether there is a current limitation in the know-how of ultrafast laser customers, Merk and Schmidt agreed that there was – with both explaining that they often have to work very closely with their customers to guide and teach them about the different applications – and help them select an optimised ultrafast laser solution. ‘I think that’s something I see as an important step forward... this more active and more involved business development,’ Schmidt remarked. On the application development side, he also emphasised that, for Trumpf’s own activities in this area, the firm currently has the same
number of employees involved in ultrafast laser application development as it has working on laser welding – emphasising the importance and potential of ultrafast laser technology. Other trends mentioned by the panel included the increasing variety of wavelengths being offered in the ultrafast regime, such as UV, which Schmidt noted will be important for future applications. Martynas Barkauskas, CEO of Light Conversion, added that he was happy to see more companies now providing UV femtosecond lasers, and said that this was definitely something that wasn’t happening a year ago. Lastly, Dr Qitao Lue, CTO of Chinese laser giant Han’s Laser, remarked that the emergence of 5G could bring with it new materials (more on page 20) that will require ultrafast lasers to process – specifically those offering picosecond pulse duration.
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