IPG has a high level of experience in micro cutting
of various materials such as sapphire, Si, GaN
on sapphire, diamond, ceramics, metals and
other materials.
With a wide range of laser sources and
patented beam shaping and delivery
technology IPG is well positioned to
meet the most demanding micro
cutting requirements.
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Typical considerations in cutting applications are the accuracy of the cut placement, minimization of the material lost in the cutting process, and minimization of heating damage; all while achieving the maximum possible processing speed. “High cut quality” is a subjective parameter that depends on the application and determines the choice of a laser system and configuration of the micromachining system. For some applications a ‘fixed beam’ is used with the part moving under the beam to create the desired machining pattern. The part handling stages can have various axes of motion (X, Y, Z, theta, lathe, etc) coordinated with laser triggering to allow highly complex machining |
patterns. Typical positional accuracies are better than 3 microns per 150 mm of stage travel, for stage linear speeds up to about 1 meter/sec. Galvanometers are typically used for applications that benefit from moving the beam at higher speed over the part. Typically the positional accuracy achieved with galvanometers is not as high as that achieved with linear stages, but recent advances with the galvanometer and their controllers continue to improve their accuracy and repeatability. Typical writing speeds are within 1-5 meters/sec, with short settling times. IPG's Quasi-CW lasers and ultrafast pico and femtosecond lasers are commonly used in micro cutting applications. Complete systems can be provided from the Dual Laser R&D workstations to semi-automatic and fully automatic systems. |
Sapphire CuttingSapphire cutting is used for mobile device applications. Typical processes include singulating display covers, camera windows and opening sensor windows within display covers. Sapphire thickness is from 0.1 to 3.0 mm. System: Sapphire & Silicon Wafer Cutter Lasers: Single-mode QCW lasers, multi-mode QCW lasers, picosecond lasers |
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Metal DicingDicing of metal wafers that include copper, copper-tungsten, moly and stainless steel is done on wafers and thin films using IPG’s proprietary technology. Beam delivery can be optimized from standard focused beams to proprietary shaped beams to allow for optimization of throughput and quality. Shown here is copper wafer cutting for device singulation. System: Metal Wafer Cutter Lasers: Single-mode QCW lasers, multi-mode QCW lasers, picosecond lasers, UV ns pulsed lasers |
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Ceramic CuttingIPG’s systems can perform ablative and thermal ceramic cutting and scribing for materials up to 1mm thickness with sub-micron feature placement and dimensional accuracy. The figure shows precision grooves in a ceramic cylinder System: Ceramic Cutting Lasers: Single-mode QCW lasers, multi-mode QCW lasers, picosecond lasers, UV ns pulsed lasers |
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Polymer CuttingPart singulation and feature patterning of polymer films. Choice of laser type, scanning, or large-field-of view processing to minimize heating effects on sensitive materials while maximizing quality and throughput. System: Polymer Film Cutting Lasers: picosecond lasers, green ns pulsed lasers, UV ns pulsed lasers |
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Silicon CuttingSolutions are available for machining smaller diameter wafers from larger ones, solar-cell downsizing or silicon stencil cutting. Material thickness up to 1mm. The figure shows 700 µm wafer downsizing, top view and side view. System: Sapphire & Silicon Wafer Cutter Lasers: Single-mode QCW lasers, multi-mode QCW lasers, picosecond lasers, green ns pulsed lasers |
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Diamond CuttingDiamond Lens Cutting System: Sapphire & Silicon Wafer Cutter Lasers: UV ns pulsed lasers, green ns pulsed lasers, picosecond lasers |
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