By licensing the Portland-based FiLaser-developed process technology, InnoLas Systems can adopt ultra-short pulse lasers generated by LUMERA LASER uniquely for InnoLas. InnoLas' global sales network will distribute this comprehensive turnkey system designed for sapphire, glass and brittle materials cutting.
FiLaser LLC in Portland: Map made from 1mm glass cubes cut from large hardened glass sheet, 500 mm/s, single pass, no chips or cracks.
Based on rapid heating, conventional laser cutting creates vaporization resulting in material removal. This slow process creates a rough surface finish and also unwanted micro cracks. Conventional laser processes is followed by post-processing for making the materials safe from unwanted damage. Also, expensive grinding and polishing steps follow post-processing steps subsequently. In contrast, filament cutting is based on ultra-short laser pulses in the picosecond range for cutting brittle materials through plasma dissociation, leading to rapid processing speed, less surface roughness, and improved bend strength. This new versatile laser cutting technology is ideal for chemically strengthened (Gorilla) glass and sapphire, where cutting is complex with conventional methods. Filament cutting ensures improved throughput, quality, and yield in developing touchscreen displays for tablet PCs and smart phones. It can be efficiently applied for GaAs, Si, and SiC, at increased speeds.
According to the CEO FiLaser, Jeffrey Albelo, a newly-developed laser process technology is at the core of materials science and physics. The collaboration of three well-established companies will result in new innovation, thereby enabling its customers to incorporate this capability quickly and reliably. This novel technology has promising potentials where its application exceeds sapphire, glass, and wafer singulation.
Source: http://www.filaser.com/
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