Applications of Ultrafast Lasers in Microfabrication

Just as photolithography technology brought about the miniaturization of integrated circuits and drove multiple market opportunities in the electronics sector, a similar inflection point has arrived for ultrafast lasers. While these femtosecond class lasers have long enabled the precise manipul a-tion of matter without heat affects, only recently, with the advent of commercial grade systems, has the potential of the technology been realized. Fiber optic architecture, embedded software control and robust telecom components have been leveraged to ensure the reliability, ease of use, and per-formance standards required in manufacturing settings. With femtosecond laser microfabrication tools now accessible to industry, the relevance of femtosecond lasers to modern manufacturing has become clear based on compelling economics, unparalleled precision, and new flexibility with re-spect to materials. These new capabilities are opening up enormous opportunities in automotive components, consumer electronics, medical devices, aerospace and bioscience applications.