Laser drilling and cutting

The laser is a very precise tool for cutting and drilling. Below, some application in silica wafer are shown.

Realization of holes and trench on Silicon wafers

Laser engraving for imprinting lithography

A laser ablation process to create a micro-structure of master based on Ni alloy was developed by Microla Optoelectronics together with the Politecnico di Torino. Ni alloy samples were loaded in the ultra-high vacuum process chamber (P=1×10-7 Torr). Good quality of master nickel alloy was achieved by using this technique with a MLQ20 Microla laser.

Laser ablated structures

Laser annealing

Two different annealing processes are studied at Microla together with the Physics Department of Politecnico di Torino. Graphene is obtained by the thermal decomposition of the silicon carbides. A laser MLQ20 assisted annealing process for the silicon carbide graphitization is currently employed in our case for this study.

FESEM image after the annealing process.

In another hand, a MLQ20 laser processing system was employed for the flash annealing treatment of a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ). MTJ consists in an ultra-thin insulator placed as tunnel barrier between two metallic ferromagnetic layers. The typical thermal heating profile at and below the focal point of such process is described in the following figure.

Linear fit parameters and the mean and maximum temperature reached during the experiment

Laser engraving for holographic mastering

As an example we show laser ablation processes used to produce holographic masters, that we are developing in partnership with a SME of Piedmont Region

Holographic master on Nickel-Copper alloy

Holographic master on Nickel

Laser drilling and cutting

MLQ laser is used in a wide range of micro-processes on different materials. The use of high energy pulses makes possible to get extremely narrow and precise channels on different substrates avoiding the growth of oxides on the channel's walls. An example is the use of the laser processing for the realization of the PCR structure ( polymerase chain reaction) lab-on-a-chip.

a) structure's layout  b) optical microscopy   c) final device

PLD (Pulsed Laser Deposition)

PLD is a evaporation technology used for growing thin films. It exploits a laser beam focused on a target material placed in a Ultra High Vacuum chamber. The use of very short and energetic laser beams allows the superficial and selective evaporation of the target. This process is under investigation.