Laser Induced Plasma Micromachining (LIPMM)
- Technology Benefits
- • Material flexibility: transparent materials, non-metal materials, composite materials • High productivity enabled by L-LIPMM • Process flexibility enabled by MC-LIPMM
- Detailed Technology Description
- A novel laser-induced plasma micro-machining (LIPMM) with enhanced productivity and process flexibility for micro-machining process.#INSTRUMENTATION, #DEVICE
- *Abstract
-
Northwestern's researchers have developed a novel laser-induced plasma micro-machining (LIPMM) with enhanced productivity and process flexibility. As a tool-less micro-machining process, LIPMM can reduce machining time significantly and overcome the limitations of other micro-machining processes. Northwestern's spot plasma based LIPMM (S-LIPMM) can machine various materials. Two new variants of S-LIPMM have been developed: L-LIPMM utilizes line-shaped laser to achieve efficient micro-patterning over large area, and MC-LIPMM utilizes external magnetic control to manipulate plasma shape for patterning nonconventional micro-features without changing optics. This promising multi-material, high-throughput and process-flexible LIPMM technology can be applied to a wide variety of applications, such as creating hydrophobic surface, light-trapping for solar cells and friction reduction.
Figure Spot Plasma based LIPMM (S-LIPMM) and the Variants. (a): Comparison betweenS-LIPMM and direct laser fabrication (b): Channel arrays on silicon using LIPMM (c): Fabrication sample using MC-LIPMM
- *Inventors
- Jian Cao* Kornel F Ehmann Kumar Pallav Rajiv Malhotra Ishan Saxena
- *Publications
- Malhotra R, Saxena I, Ehmann KF, Cao J (2013) Laser-induced Plasma Micro-machining (LIPMM) for Enhanced Productivity and Flexibility in Laser-based Micro-machining Processes. Annuals of CIRP, 62: 211-214.
- Country/Region
- USA
