Femtosecond Micromachinning

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Femtosecond Micromachinning
Ultrashort pulses are ideal for micro-machining
Ultrashort pulse lasers can precision machine
many materials
M.D. Feit, A.M. Komashko, A.M. Rubenchik,
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
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Ultrashort-pulse micro-machining can make
sub-wavelength holes
Because high-order nonlinear-optical processes
are responsible for cutting, there is effectively
a threshold for cutting. This means that careful
control of the intensity can yield a very small
hole
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Long- vs. short-pulse micromachining
Long pulse
Short pulse
The main advantages of femtosecond micro
machining are  - No thermal damage High
machining quality, heat sensitive material
machining  - Unmatched accuracy Down to 100nm
(very well defined ablation threshold) - No
wavelength dependence Any material can be
machined with the same laser
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Examples