Using fly’s eye homogenizer has proven applicability in various fields, ranging from early-stage microscopy to state-of- the-art lithography. Hereby periodic lens arrays are commonly used to form a homogenous top -hat distribution. In turn, this periodicity can limit the attainable homogeneity by interference based micro - inhomogeneities. Furthermore, the positioning of the lens arrays results in small spot sizes directly at the lens surface, compromising functionality for large pulse energies. Here we present the challenges emerging due to the usage of non-periodic lens-arrays and introduce our design concept, suppressing interference based micro-inhomogeneities while being suitable for applications with large pulse energies.
Beam-shaping of homogeneous line profiles at ultra-violet wavelengths has wide applicability in the flat-panel display industry. Besides the well-established Excimer-Laser-based setups, diode-pumped-solid-state lasers with high repetition rates and comparatively small pulse energies have proven to be capable of providing a cost-effective alternative for different process steps e.g. Laser-Lift-Off or Solid-State-Laser-Annealing. We give a short summary about challenges emerging during the design of these system and demonstrate the generation of state-of-the-art laser-lines, offering a super-Gaussian, top-hat-shaped short-axis profile..
Long UV laser lines find application in crystallization of Si, lift-off of flexible OLED displays from assistance glass and other surface processing technologies. With the appearance of powerful and reliable pulsed UV DPSS lasers in the last years, many efforts are directed to the implementation of such lasers in the line systems instead of excimer lasers. For the processing with a high energy density, several DPSS lasers have usually to be coupled in a homogeneous line focus with 100 - 1000 mm length and FWHM of 20 – 40 μm. We describe an advantageous line design approach based on anisotropic laser beam transformation, which improves beam quality for the narrow line axis and allows tight focusing with large depth of the focus. Solutions for tuning the line width are discussed.
Deflection and modulation of a laser beam for Q-switching or material processing can be realized in many ways. Today, one task is still the speed of these components. Especially for spatial pulse separation in ultrashort pulse laser applications the deflection must be faster (MHz). Promising solutions are deflectors based on the electro-optic effect.
Optical Gaussian-to-tophat converters (g2T) that convert a Gaussian intensity distribution into a tophat profile find growing applications in different laser processing technologies. Usually, such refractive or diffractive g2T converters comprise of two or more optical components. For example, one aspherical component to form a tophat angular distribution followed by a Fourier lens that transforms it into the desired tophat intensity distribution in the focal plane. Here we report an optical design, which combines both optical functions in a single monolithic component. The component is designed and manufactured by LIMO as a free-form profile, providing the square tophat of 100-μm width at the distance of 125 mm. Compared to the traditional g2T-converters it is much more compact, easy to adjust, and less sensitive to alignment errors. In many industrial applications, not a single but multiple tophat foci are desirable for a fast parallel processing. For such applications we have developed a Gaussian-to-Tophat beam splitter. The beam splitting is done by a refractive-diffractive high-order grating with a smooth continuous pitch profile. Thanks to the smooth profile, such a Gaussian-to- Tophat beam splitter demonstrates very high efficiency of above 95% and high homogeneity between the diffraction orders.
Ultra-narrow line-shaped laser focuses are required for different material surface applications. We review the development of line-shaping optics for green DPSS lasers and report exemplary on several systems providing different line geometries and using different types of the lasers. These systems cover the line length range from 19 to 215 mm. One of the reported systems provides ultra-homogeny line-focus of 7.5 μm width and 215 mm length. It uses two rod Nd:YAG DPSS lasers and LIMO micro-optical anisotropic beam transformation technique to reach such a tight focusing and long depth of the focus. Contrarily another reported 200-mm green line is designed for bundling of eight Yb:YAG disc laser beams in a 100-μm wide line. The anisotropic beam transformation is not necessary for the shaping of this relatively broad line.
Ultra-narrow line-shaped laser focuses are required for different material surface applications. We discuss the optical
solutions, like anisotropic transformation and homogenization of a multimode laser beam, and present examples of the
line-beam shaping systems for industrial processing. These systems cover range from 13 to 400 mm of the line length by
about 10 μm line width. By the lengths above 200 - 300 mm the energy of several green lasers has to be bundled in the
system.
For a selective doping of solar cell emitter underneath the front contacts we have developed the optics, which provides
instead of the continuous line-shaped focus a number of short line-segments (dashed line). Each of these segments is 14
ìm wide and 220 μm (flat topped) long. The 17-segment line spans 33.5 mm and can be extended to cover a whole
standard 6" Si wafer. The light source is an Yb:YAG 515 nm disc laser (TRUMPF).
Diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are of rising importance for many industrial laser applications, especially for laser
beam shaping and laser beam splitting. Typically, such applications require high damage threshold of the diffractive
optical elements as well as high diffraction efficiency. Usually DOEs with multilevel (step-like) phase profiles are made
microlithographically and suffer from "quantisation" errors and scattering on profile derivative discontinuities. The steplike
structure lowers the DOE damage threshold compared to the intrinsic material values.
LIMO's microoptical technology is suitable for the production of high-precision free programmable continuous surface
profiles in optical glasses, crystals and metals. It can be applied for manufacturing of microlens and micro-mirror arrays
as well as for manufacturing of diffractive optics with continuous reliefs. Both the arrays and DOEs with continuous
relief are suitable for high efficiency laser beam splitting. However, the design approaches to obtain a desirable solution
for the corresponding continuous phase profiles are different.
The results of the wave-optical simulations made by LIMO's own program and by VirtualLab software, and
experimental studies for a 1 to 11 beam splitter with a continuous profile for the wavelength of 532 nm are presented.
Continuous phase profiles for the DOEs were designed by a procedure based on the theory of beam splitting by a phase
grating. Comparative theoretical and experimental studies were also done for splitting with a double-sided microlens
array. For both types of beam splitting the efficiency can be very high (> 98%). The DOEs show especially high
homogeneities of the resulting intensity distribution, however, they are much more sensitive to wavelength variations.
The microlens arrays demonstrate even weaker ghost orders as the DOE splitters and their surface profiles are simpler.
However, the efficiency and homogeneity suffer on interlens gaps.
A new type of low-voltage planar electro-optical device for fast beam deflection is reported. It contains two EO
modulators, both working as multimode waveguides. The geometry of the waveguides (ratio height to length) enables an
efficient self-imaging of the entrance Gaussian mode. The EO modules are from LiNbO3:MgO with the thickness of 32
μm, length 9.75 mm, and width of 26 mm. The second stage works as an active phased array with 16 channels. The
design provides a flat wavefront at the exit of the system despite the discrete phase shifts in the array channels. This
makes a high steering resolution and optical efficiency possible. The full angle deflection range is of ±32•(1.27λ/D) by
using of very low control voltages of 10 - 15 V. The voltages can be further reduced down to 5 V through constructive
improvement of the EO-modules. The deflection range can be increased 16 times implementing a 3rd EO stage with a 16-
channel EO-array.
The deflector provides random access to the available angle states. The access time is limited generally by the capacity
of the EO modules. It is of only about 0.1 nF in the reported design. We estimate that thanks to the low control voltage
and electrical capacity of EO-modules a switching frequency of about 100 MHz may be possible with an advanced
electronics.
A relatively large face cross-section of about 1 mm2 will allow using the system with high power lasers and short pulse
duration.
Diffractive optical elements (DOE) play an important role for laser beam shaping in industry, for example in lithography
or parallel laser material processing. Typically such applications require high damage threshold and low background
illumination (high contrast and efficiency). Usual DOE with binary phase (step-like) profiles are made
microlithographically and suffer from substantial scattering on profile derivative discontinuities. That gives also
tendency to lower damage threshold as compared to intrinsic material values. The LIMO approach is based contrarily on
a proprietary, non etching material processing and is suitable for manufacturing of high-precision free programmable
continuous surface profiles in optical glasses and crystals. We report on linear symmetric diffractive beam splitter 1:11
with high homogeneity and efficiency > 95% and discuss also other DOE designs. The design data, simulations with
measured surface profiles and experimental intensity distributions are in very good agreement.
Furthermore we report on a new type of optical attenuator composed from two DOE gratings. Its dynamic transmission
range is 0.3% to 98%. The required lateral DOE shift is only 5 - 10 μm in the present design, so that the device can be
very fast and applicable for dynamic intensity stabilization.
High power laser sources are used in various production tools for microelectronic products and solar cells, including the
applications annealing, lithography, edge isolation as well as dicing and patterning. Besides the right choice of the laser
source suitable high performance optics for generating the appropriate beam profile and intensity distribution are of high
importance for the right processing speed, quality and yield.
For industrial applications equally important is an adequate understanding of the physics of the light-matter interaction
behind the process. In advance simulations of the tool performance can minimize technical and financial risk as well as
lead times for prototyping and introduction into series production. LIMO has developed its own software founded on the
Maxwell equations taking into account all important physical aspects of the laser based process: the light source, the
beam shaping optical system and the light-matter interaction.
Based on this knowledge together with a unique free-form micro-lens array production technology and patented micro-optics
beam shaping designs a number of novel solar cell production tool sub-systems have been built. The basic
functionalities, design principles and performance results are presented with a special emphasis on resilience, cost
reduction and process reliability.
A new type of electro-optical (E-O) deflector which combines microoptical laser beam manipulations and electro-optical
light wave phase control is presented. It consists of two stages, which include E-O arrays of LiNbO3 as key components.
The first stage forms a moveable "comb" of interference beamlets at the entrance to the second one. The second stage
recombines the beamlets, reconstructs a plane wavefront and converts the translational movement of the comb to an
angular deflection of the unified beam. Advantages of the concept as compared to other deflector types will be discussed.
The laboratory results with He-Ne lasers are presented. The demonstrator is designed to provide a 63 mrad deflection
with a diffraction limited resolution of 0.025 mrad. The technique is applicable for material processing with highrepetition-
rate lasers, for laser projection, lidars and in other fields where high speeds and robustness are necessary or
sources of vibration need to be avoided.
Advanced laser crystallization of Si films for large flat panel displays requires a narrow very homogeneous focus with at
least 235 mm length and high depth of focus. Earlier we have reported on the development and application of an ultranarrow
(5-9 μm) homogeneous line-shaped laser focus of 60 mm length for sequential lateral solidification (SLS) of Si.
Key element of our line shaping system is an anisotropic mode transformation of the 2nd green harmonic of a Nd:YAG
laser beam and its following homogenization for the long focus axis. The design and built-up of a much longer "green
line" requires innovative optical approaches and very high precision optical manufacturing. We analyze in detail
different process requirements, their physical compatibility (e.g. line width vs. depth of focus) and practical feasibility.
To reach high energy densities in the long lines we design optical schemas bundling up to 8 beams of separate lasers.
Advanced laser crystallization of Si for flat panel displays demands a narrow line-shaped light focus with an ultimately
high homogeneity. Key element of LIMO line shaping system is an anisotropic quality transformation of a multimode
laser beam, which permits a very good homogenization for the long axis and tight focusing with a large depth of focus
for the perpendicular high-quality axis. A prototype system has been built with a 90-W 532-nm DPSS laser. It provides a
59-mm long and down to 8 μm (FWHM) narrow focus with a residual inhomogeneity of only 1% (rms). The focus width
is adjustable and its shape can be tuned from a quasi-Gauss to a top-hat intensity distribution. The depth of focus at 90%
of the peak intensity DOF0.9I varies from 120 μm for a line width of 8 μm to 275 μm for FWHM = 14 μm. The design of
longer lines is in progress at LIMO.
Drilling and surface processing of bone and tooth tissue belongs to standard medical procedures (bores and embeddings
for implants, trepanation etc.). Small circular bores can be generally quickly produced with mechanical drills. However
problems arise at angled drilling, the need to execute drilling procedures without damaging of sensitive soft tissue
structures underneath the bone or the attempt to mill small non-circular cavities in hard tissue with high precision. We
present investigations on laser hard tissue "milling", which can be advantageous for solving these problems.
The processing of bone is done with a CO2 laser (10.6 &mgr;m) with pulse durations of 50 - 100 &mgr;s, combined with a PC-controlled
fast galvanic laser beam scanner and a fine water-spray, which helps keeping the ablation process effective
and without thermal side-effects.
Laser "milling" of non-circular cavities with 1 - 4 mm width and about 10 mm depth can be especially interesting for
dental implantology. In ex-vivo investigations we found conditions for fast laser processing of these cavities without
thermal damage and with minimised tapering. It included the exploration of different filling patterns (concentric rings,
crosshatch, parallel lines, etc.), definition of maximal pulse duration, repetition rate and laser power, and optimal water
spray position. The optimised results give evidence for the applicability of pulsed CO2 lasers for biologically tolerable
effective processing of deep cavities in hard tissue.
Drilling of bone and tooth tissue belongs to recurrent medical procedures (screw- and pin-bores, bores for implant inserting, trepanation etc.). Small round bores can be in general quickly produced with mechanical drills. Problems arise however by angled drilling, by the necessity to fulfill the drilling without damaging of sensitive soft tissue beneath the bone, or by the attempt to mill precisely noncircular small cavities. We present investigations on laser hard tissue "milling", which can be advantageous for solving these problems.
The "milling" is done with a CO2 laser (10.6 &mgr;m) with pulse duration of 50 - 100 &mgr;s, combined with a PC-controlled galvanic beam scanner and with a fine water-spray, which helps to avoid thermal side-effects. The damaging of underlying soft tissue can be prevented through control of the optical or acoustical ablation signal. The ablation of hard tissue is accompanied with a strong glowing, which is absent during the laser beam action on soft tissue. The acoustic signals from the diverse tissue types exhibit distinct differences in the spectral composition. Also computer image analysis could be a useful tool to control the operation.
Laser "milling" of noncircular cavities with 1 - 4 mm width and about 10 mm depth is particularly interesting for dental implantology. In ex-vivo investigations we found conditions for fast laser "milling" of the cavities without thermal damage and with minimal tapering. It included exploration of different filling patterns (concentric rings, crosshatch, parallel lines and their combinations), definition of maximal pulse duration, repetition rate and laser power, optimal position of the spray. The optimized results give evidences for the applicability of the CO2 laser for biologically tolerable "milling" of deep cavities in the hard tissue.
Non-contact laser osteotomy brings new opportunities in maxillofacial and other surgical fields, since it allows very precise pre-programmed incisions of arbitrary geometries. Laser osteotomy is however difficult, because bone is a tough composite material, which is at the same time sensitive to a temperature increase. Besides thermal side effects, practical laser applicability was limited until now because of very low cutting rates and limited incision depths. We discuss how to overcome these disadvantages by means of an optimal arrangement of thermo-mechanical ablation with a pulsed CO2 laser and with a water-spray as an assisting media. To the arrangement belong optimal duration, intensity and energy density of the laser pulses, as well as a multi-pass cutting procedure. We show that effective ablation of hard tissue with minor thermal damage is possible with relatively long CO2 laser pulses of 80 μs duration and average laser power up to 40 - 50 W. To overcome the depth limit we have developed a special scanning technique, which allows cutting of massive multilayer bones with a feasible rate.
Systematic investigations on ablation of compact bone tissue with different CO2 laser systems are presented. Main attention is paid to the influence of the laser wavelength and pulse duration on the efficiency of the ablation.
Using short 300 ns pulses of a Q-switch CO2 laser at the wavelength of maximal hard tissue absorption (9.6 micrometer) we achieve charring-free ablation of bone tissue. An air-water spray prevents tissue parching and helps to avoid excessive rest-heat accumulation. The observed thermally altered layer at the cut surface in a cortical bone is of only 2 - 6 micrometer thickness. A long enough irradiation results in a progressively narrowing to the bottom wedge-shaped cut profile and in a drop of the ablation rate as compared to its initial value. The main reason for this is most likely an enhancement of a heat dispersion and growing light absorption by ablation products. An enlargement of the cut width helps to avoid these negative phenomena. Using this technique we overcome restriction on the cut depth and reduce noticeably the cut time. With 66 W of average power from the Q-switch CO2 laser we need 1/2 min to produce a 6-mm deep and 10-mm long in vitro incision in a hard cortical bone (young bull femur). That time increases to 2 in for 10-mm depth.
Bone ablation with 400 ns pulses of a mechanically Q- switched CO2 laser is reported. A miniature water spray was used, which alleviates tissue carbonization, even at high laser pulse repetition rates, and increases ablation efficiency. An ablation threshold of less than 2 J/cm2, an optimal energy density of 10 J/cm2, and a corresponding specific ablation energy of 25 - 30 J/mm3 was found for pig thighbone compacta at (lambda) equals 9.57 micrometers , and a beam waist diameter of 0.5 mm.
A low pressure (23 mbar) CO2 laser with fast mechanical Q-switch (f <EQ 20 kHz) provides pulses [t(0.5) approximately equals 200 ns] at several wavelengths simultaneously. The special design of a three-mirror cavity allows the oscillation of up to six arbitrarily selected wavelengths of the same vibrational band.
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