Applications

Hole array produced in a 100 µm thick stainless-steel sheet at a rate of 1 ms/hole.

Stainless steel sheet surface profile after drilling (left). Photos of top surface hole (diameter 30 µm) and bottom surface hole (diameter 3 µm).

Rapid drilling of conical holes is possible in various materials (polymer compounds, ceramics, steel alloys, transparent crystalline, and amorphous materials, etc.) using the BiBurst feature of the Pharos and Carbide lasers. A demonstration is provided of an array of holes where each hole is produced in less than 1 ms in 100 µm thick stainless steel (AISI 304) sheets with an entrance diameter deviation of 100 nm and an exit diameter (RMS) deviation of 400 nm. By combining the Fast Energy Control (FEC) feature as well as adjusting the burst settings (number of sub-pulses within the burst, individual energy of the sub-pulses and the temporal gap between the sub-pulses), the dimensions of the conical shape may be tailored according to the needs of a specific application.