Introduction
The RapidX 130 is a standard platform for an excimer laser micromachining system developed for industrial applications. The RapidX 130-L incorporates a high power excimer laser with average power of 80 Watts at 248nm laser wavelength and 50 Watts at 193nm wavelength. The RapidX130-M utilizes a medium power excimer laser operating at 30 Watts at 248nm and 12 Watts at 193nm wavelength.
The excimer laser operates in the ultra-violet spectrum, permitting the machining of materials in a manner that is unlike most conventional lasers (CO2 or Nd:YAG) or mechanical processes. For the machining of polymers, the UV laser beam is absorbed into the material and the molecular bonds of the material are broken, erupting upward in a plasma gas. This phenomena is known as photo chemical ablation. The net result is that the polymer material is “vaporized”, going from a solid phase to a gas phase. There is no melting, heat affected zone or debris on the affected machining area.
The excimer laser is ideal for machining polymers, ceramics, glass and thin metals.
The excimer laser has a very short pulse duration (typically 20 nsec) which minimizes the amount of time the laser beam dwells on the material, resulting in a “cold” process with minimal heat transferred to the material. The excimer laser ablates the material layer by layer in increments as small as 0.1 microns that makes it ideal for drilling blind holes, blind channels or stripping wires. The laser has excellent depth control and by counting the number of pulses, the prescribed depth can be reached.
The laser can remove one material without damaging the underlying layer. The excimer laser process is a material “selective” process. For example, the energy density required to ablate polymers is an order of magnitude lower than metals or glass. Therefore the laser beam can ablate or removal a polymer layer and not damage the underlying metal or glass substrate.
Since the feature size or resolution is proportional to the laser wavelength, from a practical standpoint the laser can machine features as small as 1 micron.
Typical Applications include
- Wire-stripping
- Cable stripping
- Laser ablation of Flat Panel Displays
- Laser ablation of flexible circuits
- Laser ablation of polymer coatings from semiconductor
- Die and packaging
- Laser drilling of microphone and speaker diaphragms
- Thin film patterning of wafers
- Laser drilling of Ink jet printer heads
- Laser drilling of nebulizers and aerosol nozzles
- Laser drilling of catheters and balloons
- Laser drilling of medical filter
