Laser-water jet cutting head

Технологія лазерної різки з допоміжним водяним мікроструменем
Silicon cutting
At the left – with water jet; at the right – conventional cutting technique with protective air jet.

It is developed for making holes and cutting silicon wafers and other materials. The cutting process is performed in water. Apart from the low pressure water, high pressure water microjet is supplied to the cutting point, providing effective cooling and removal of ablation products. The laser beam passes through the low pressure water cell and is focused on the workpiece in the center of high pressure water microjet (up to 200 Bar).

Features:

Operation area up to 400 х 400 mm
Cutting speed 60 mm/min
Materials Silicon, metals
Laser wavelength 1.06 µm or 0.53 µm
Focusing wais diameter 30 µm
Repetition rate 30 kHz
Power density 4х107 W/cm2
Water microjet diameter 150 µm
Water pressure 20 – 100 Bar
Energy consumption 1 kW

Advantages:

  • reduction of the heat-affected zone;
  • reduction of ablation product deposition on the workpiece surface;
  • no toxic emissions into the air;
  • no need for high-tech diamond nozzle for water microjet;
  • more precise focusing since water microjet does not work as a waveguide for laser radiation.

Applications:

  • laser hole drilling in silicon and other materials;
  • microcutting.

Developer:

Photon Processes Department of the Institute of Physics (V.M. Kadan).

Contact information:

Tel. +38 (044) 525 98 41
Fax: +38 (044) 525 15 43
E-mail: fesenko@iop.kiev.ua