Efficient Use of Short Pulse Width Laser for Maximum Material Removal Rate

Majority of high volume laser manufacturing processes require high throughput, improved accuracy, and minimal thermal damage to the target material. Diode pumped solid state (DPSS) Qswitched nanosecond pulsed lasers are routinely being used today in the manufacture of semiconductor, microelectronics and solar cells. They offer low noise, high stability, and reliability required for a robust manufacturing process. Over the past few years the energy available per pulse and the repetition frequency of such lasers have increased dramatically. In this paper we describe three different fluence management techniques to effectively use the high energy and repetition frequency available from a short pulse width 355 nm DPSS Q-switched laser to maximize the material removal rate and maintain the highest possible quality. Experimental data for ceramic scribing is presented to demonstrate the advantages offered by the proposed techniques.