Overcoming limits in processing of advanced material geometries Available to Purchase

Standard laser processing technologies available on industrial scale often cannot fulfill specific requirements for processing advanced material geometries. A number of dedicated hardware and software solutions to overcome these limitations have been developed within Philips Applied Technologies. In this paper three of these developments will be discussed. I: Maximizing processing speed for accurate micromachining of funnel shaped holes requires in depth knowledge of scanner dynamics. By carefully designing scanner tracks with varying scanning speed, the scanner can be used at its maximum performance over the full range of scanning radii. This results in a breakthrough in machining speed. II: Illuminating the complete circumference of a cylindrical object at once, in order to homogeneously heat it, can be realized with the use of a ring mirror. This solution however leads to focusing of the laser beam in the center of the ring mirror, which causes problems when heating small objects. An alternative solution with a facetted mirror has been developed to eliminate this effect. III: Laser structuring of surfaces with optical quality, suffers from debris reducing the imaging quality of successive pulses and polluting the structuring area. With a dedicated nozzle design, where gas supply and exhaust are matched, the amount of debris can be reduced significantly.