Skip to main content
OSTI.GOVU.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
 

Apparatus for precision micromachining with lasers

Patent ·
OSTI ID:871509
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Dublin, CA
  2. Danville, CA
  3. Pleasanton, CA
+ Show Author Affiliations
A new material processing apparatus using a short-pulsed, high-repetition-rate visible laser for precision micromachining utilizes a near diffraction limited laser, a high-speed precision two-axis tilt-mirror for steering the laser beam, an optical system for either focusing or imaging the laser beam on the part, and a part holder that may consist of a cover plate and a back plate. The system is generally useful for precision drilling, cutting, milling and polishing of metals and ceramics, and has broad application in manufacturing precision components. Precision machining has been demonstrated through percussion drilling and trepanning using this system. With a 30 W copper vapor laser running at multi-kHz pulse repetition frequency, straight parallel holes with size varying from 500 microns to less than 25 microns and with aspect ratios up to 1:40 have been consistently drilled with good surface finish on a variety of metals. Micromilling and microdrilling on ceramics using a 250 W copper vapor laser have also been demonstrated with good results. Materialogroaphic sections of machined parts show little (submicron scale) recast layer and heat affected zone.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
Patent Number(s):
US 5744780
OSTI ID:
871509
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (8)

Copper-laser oscillator with adjoint-coupled self-filtering injection journal January 1995
Laser Micro Machining Of Material Surfaces
  • van Krieken, A. H.; Schaarsberg, J. Groote; Raterink, H. J.
  • 1988 International Congress on Optical Science and Engineering, SPIE Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1117/12.950096
conference April 1989
Pressure dependence of copper laser output characteristics journal January 1993
Precision micro drilling with copper vapor lasers
  • Chang, J. J.; Martinez, M. W.; Warner, B. E.
  • ICALEO® ‘94: Proceedings of the Laser Materials Processing Conference, International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics https://doi.org/10.2351/1.5058807
conference January 1994
Metal Precision Drilling with Lasers conference October 1986
Laser machining of objects with simultaneous visual monitoring in a copper vapor oscillator-amplifier system journal February 1984
Material influence on cutting and drilling of metals using copper vapor lasers conference December 1991
Laser materials processing applications at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory report February 1993

Similar Records

Apparatus for precision micromachining with lasers
Patent · Tue Apr 28 00:00:00 EDT 1998 · OSTI ID:644426
New applications of copper vapor lasers in micromachining
Conference · Tue Nov 08 23:00:00 EST 1994 · OSTI ID:93993
Precision micro drilling with copper vapor lasers
Conference · Fri Sep 02 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · OSTI ID:125099

Related Subjects

/219/
25
250
30
40
500
affected
affected zone
apparatus
application
aspect
aspect ratio
aspect ratios
beam
broad
broad application
ceramics
components
consist
consistently
copper
copper vapor
cover
cover plate
cutting
demonstrated
diffraction
diffraction limited
drilled
drilling
finish
focusing
frequency
heat
heat affected
high-repetition-rate
high-speed
holder
holes
imaging
laser
laser beam
lasers
layer
limited
machined
machining
manufacturing
material
material processing
materialogroaphic
metals
microdrilling
micromachining
micromilling
microns
milling
multi-khz
near
near diffraction
optical
parallel
parallel holes
percussion
plate
polishing
precision
precision components
precision machining
precision micromachining
processing
processing apparatus
pulse
pulse repetition
ratios
recast
repetition
repetition frequency
results
running
scale
sections
short-pulsed
size
speed precision
steering
straight
submicron
surface
surface finish
tilt-mirror
trepanning
two-axis
useful
utilizes
vapor
vapor laser
variety
varying
visible
visible laser
zone