Femtosecond Laser Precision Drilling in Diamond: When the Sharpest 'Light' Meets the Hardest 'Stone'
Diamond, commonly known as diamond, is the hardest known substance in nature (Mo...
MONO | 2025-06
INDUSTRY
The drilling of holes in probes by femtosecond lasers is a highly precise process used in a wide range of applications such as microelectronics, semiconductors and biomedicine. For example, in the manufacture of semiconductor test probes, femtosecond lasers can punch precise holes in the heads of very small probes, which can be used to mount tiny wires or make electrical connections. By magnifying the microscopic image 200 times, it can be clearly observed that the edges of the femtosecond laser-processed holes are very smooth and neat, with extremely high dimensional and positional accuracy, in line with stringent manufacturing requirements.
Principles and advantages of femtosecond laser perforation
Ultra-short pulses: Femtosecond lasers have pulse durations on the order of 10^-15 seconds, enabling the release of large amounts of energy in a very short period of time.
High Peak Power: The extremely short pulse duration but very high energy density enables precise removal of material.
Extremely small heat-affected zone: due to the short pulse duration, femtosecond lasers have almost no heat conduction effect, reducing thermal damage to the material.
High precision: Femtosecond lasers can achieve sub-micron processing precision, which is ideal for micro-fine hole processing.
Process of processing probes
Design and preparation: According to the design requirements of the probe, the location and size of the hole are determined. Computer Aided Design (CAD) software is often used for accurate design.
Material Fixing: Fix the probe material on the machining platform to ensure stability during the machining process.
Laser parameter setting: The parameters of the femtosecond laser, such as pulse energy, frequency and scanning speed, are adjusted to ensure optimal perforation.
Laser Punching: The laser punches holes in the probe point by point according to the design pattern. The high energy density of the femtosecond laser pulses instantly vaporises and removes the material, creating precise holes.
Quality check: The size and shape of the holes are checked using a microscope or other inspection equipment to ensure compliance with the design requirements.
Perforation using monochromatic femtosecond laser equipment has the following advantages:
High precision and consistency: Femtosecond lasers are capable of achieving extremely high processing precision and consistency, which is suitable for the processing of tiny, fine holes.
No thermal influence: there is almost no heat-affected zone, avoiding thermal deformation and damage to the material.
Wide range of material applicability: A wide range of materials can be processed, including metals, ceramics, polymers and biological materials.
Flexibility: suitable for a variety of complex patterns and designs, processing parameters can be quickly adjusted to suit different needs.
Areas of application:
Microelectronics and semiconductors: for precision drilling of chip probes and test probes to ensure reliable electrical connections.
Biomedicine: for the manufacture of probes on biosensors and microfluidic chips for detection at the cellular and molecular level.
Communication technology: precision perforation on fibre optic probes and miniature antennas to enhance the performance of communication equipment.
The technology of femtosecond laser perforation equipment for punching holes in probes shows great application potential and advantages in various high-tech fields by virtue of its high precision, low thermal impact and wide material applicability.
