Application of Picosecond Laser in Metal Processing
Laser micro-machining technology is gradually becoming the preferred technology for various micro-scale material processing applications. Especially in recent years, a series of new developments in all-solid-state (DPSS) laser technology have rapidly transferred a large number of new special materials that could only be processed in the laboratory to various mature industrial production lines.
The remarkable progress made by picosecond laser technology has made it a reliable tool for industrial microfabrication, which was previously impossible to complete with other methods. The picosecond pulse width can be compared with the electro-optical relaxation time and is short enough to 'cold' ablate the material.
Picosecond lasers also have many advantages compared to femtosecond lasers with shorter pulse widths. Since there is no need to expand and compress pulses for amplification, the design of picosecond lasers is not that complicated, so it is more cost-effective , The performance is more reliable. At the same time, the picosecond pulse is still short enough to handle very precise and stress-free microfabrication.
Picosecond laser can perform micron-scale processing on almost all materials. These materials include but are not limited to:
♦ Metal
♦ Semiconductor
♦ Diamond
♦ Sapphire
♦ Ceramic
♦ Polymer
♦ Composite material and resin
♦ Photoresist material
♦ Thin film
♦ ITO film
♦ Glass
The following is an introduction to one of the applications.
Black-Marking
Saturated black on the metal surface can be achieved by using Photon Energy’s CEPHEUS ultra-short pulse laser. The marks produced by the laser have a deep black appearance under different viewing angles, which is different from the laser process of annealing colors.
If the corrosion-resistant parts are marked with CEPHEUS laser in black, because there is no subsequent passivation on the marking surface, the workpiece can be protected from corrosion. In contrast, nanosecond laser marking cannot be done. .
A particularly interesting application is the dark or black marking of anodized aluminum. In this case, the surface structure has not changed even if it is inspected under an electron microscope. Nevertheless, from different perspectives, the markings are also dark and completely wear-resistant.
There are some metals and metal alloys that are particularly suitable for this application, including: types of stainless steel, different types of medical grade stainless steel, copper, precious metals such as gold, anodized or untreated aluminum, etc.