Ultrashort pulse micromachining has found a rising number of applications in a variety of scientific and industrial fields. In order to address the growing field of applications, target materials and customer requirements, a high degree of pulse parameter flexibility and ease of integration is needed. The newest generation of the TruMicro Series 2000 delivers unique features such as fast tunable pulse duration, MHz- up to GHz-burst modes in combination with flexible Pulse on Demand and elevated average power of 100W for improved productivity scaling. Three available wavelengths (343nm, 515nm, 1030nm), an integrated hollow-core fiber interface, as well as a new advanced ultrashort pulse laser control, all combined into a new one box optomechanical design with identical interfaces and dimensions opens new paths for cutting-edge applications. The improved flexibility enables fast (<800ms) and controlled (without affecting beam pointing or energy stability) tuning of pulse parameters such as pulse duration, pulse energy, pulse frequency, QCW-mode and pulse spacing up to GHz-bursts (patent pending technology). Inter- as well as intra-process parameter switching offers advanced successive parameter sequences for tailored machining. Combined processes are demonstrated that optimize both productivity (ablation rate) and quality (surface roughness, color, gloss etc.) for ablation of various metals, semiconductors and ceramics by choosing suitable timescales for energy deposition. Automated parameter studies are shown to quickly generate quantitative surface quality characteristics and foster in-depth process understanding depending on pulse parameters. Furthermore, the latest benefits for ultrafast processing employing position synchronized output and the integrated hollow-core fiber delivery with TruMicro Series 2000 are demonstrated.
We report on our recent developments in the field of ultrashort pulse welding of transparent and transparent to opaque materials. Based on recent trends in diverse branches such as biomedicine or consumer electronics we obtain a demand of reliable and sustainable joining technologies. This can be addressed by the adhesive free and localized laser joining technique using ultrashort laser pulses. Nonlinear absorption as well as heat accumulation within the focal region generate localized joints that are long term stable. On the other hand, the short focal tolerance and small gap size that can be bridged leads to high requirements for the surface quality of the weld partners hindering a cost-effective industrial usage. To overcome these limitations, spatial and temporal beam shaping of the ultrashort laser pulses is used. Based on temporal energy modulation together with the world´s first optics for ultrashort pulse welding (Top Weld optics) much better weld performance in terms of focal tolerance and gap bridging is achieved. The process allows for the bridging of gaps up to 10μm and a focal tolerance of up to 300μm which is several times higher compared with Gaussian focusing (4μm gap size, 80μm focal tolerance). This enables a highly reproduceable welding process even for larger sample dimensions e.g. in the field of architecture. Furthermore, to ensure welding in industrial environment with high throughput a simple process diagnostic based on monitoring the process illumination is presented.
Ultrafast micromachining has found broad applications in a variety of scientific and industrial fields. Different materials and competing customer requirements (surface quality vs. processing speed vs. surface structure etc.) call for parameter studies prior to volume production as well as pulse parameter flexibility during operation. Up to now, often a nonoptimized point of operation for either best speed or quality had to be chosen due to limited laser source flexibility. TruMicro Series 2000 introduces true inter- and intra-process flexibility for pulse parameters such as pulse duration, pulse energy and pulse spacing up to GHz bursts. As of now, switching the pulse duration is possible within 300 fs and 20 ps in less than 600 ms without affecting beam pointing or energy stability. Therefore, intra-process pulse parameter changes allow maximization of the ablation-volume efficiency in one step and surface-quality optimization in a second, finalizing step. Additionally, inter-process pulse parameter changes enable material changes in between workpieces. In this contribution, we show how this novel flexibility for the first time leads to comprehensive and automated parameter studies that allow for next-generation process understanding and the clear selection of enhanced points of operation. We demonstrate how ablation of various materials can be increased by employing bursts on a nanosecond timescale where a simple increase in fluence would result in cone-like protrusions. Choosing the suitable timescale for energy deposition can either maximize energy efficiency of ablation or optimize ablation quality. With the TruMicro Series 2000, both optima can be combined to one efficient, high-quality process.
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