Product Code: ICAL05_M206

Water-Jet Guided Fiber Lasers for Mask Cutting
Authors:
Delphine Perrottet, Synova SA; Ecublens Switzerland
Bernold Richerzhagen, Synova SA; Ecublens Vaud Switzerland
Tom Levesque, Synova US; Lewisville TX USA
Presented at ICALEO 2005

The water jet guided laser technology is an innovative process which combines a laser beam and a hair thin water jet by focusing a laser beam through a pressurized water chamber into a nozzle. The water jet emitted from the nozzle guides the laser beam by means of total internal reflection at the water/air interface, in a manner similar to conventional glass fibers. This technology is well suited for micro machining mainly because it generates no thermal and mechanical damages, no contamination and produces small, parallel kerfs. Recently, the fiber laser technology has been successfully adapted to the process. Due to exceptional beam quality, thinner water jets (such as 25 microns and smaller) can be used, resulting in very accurate cutting.

Fiber lasers represent an improvement for many applications, including mask cutting. Using an infrared sort-pulsed fiber laser, the water jet guided laser process is able to cut a large number of small apertures at high speed, with a high level of repeatability and accuracy; the need for post-processing steps is greatly reduced. For example, round openings (diameter 80 microns) can be drilled in 50-micron thick stainless steel at a rate of 30,000 openings per hour.