FEMTOSECOND LASER MICROSTRUCTURING OF MATERIALS

Femtosecond laser pulses at 790 and 395 nm combined with a scanning ga lvo mirror system have allowed the ablation of high quality microchann els in Pyrex, fused silica and silicon (100) for microchemical applica tions. While Pyrex and fused silica can be micromachined in the near i nfrared or UV, silicon can only be micromachined to the required depth s of similar to 50 mu m in the near UV where the linear absorption coe fficient is much higher. Residual roughness on these materials is < 1 mu m. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.