Laser Material Processing in the Micro and Nanometer Domains: Past, Present and Possibly the Future

An overview of the vast array of the laser material processing techniques is presented as they apply to fabricating structures in the micro and nanometer scale length domains.The overview covers developments from the past 20 years, and encompasses demonstrated processes where the use of the inherent properties of lasers has led to increased fidelity in the processing of materials.These demonstrated processes often use inventive approaches that rely on derivative aspects of established primary principals that govern laser/material interaction phenomena.By using these nuances in concert with the unique properties of lasers, a high level of finesse has been demonstrated in materials processing.The overview highlights by the use of selective examples those processes or techniques that appear to show scalability to the industrial environment.