Femtosecond Laser Precision Micromachining on Metals

Femtosecond Laser Precision Micromachining on Metals

Ultra-low HAZ, burr-free edges, minimal taper — powered by AOFemto series

Why femtosecond for metal micromachining?

Metal micromachining pushes process windows to the limits: tight geometries, thin walls, heat-sensitive assemblies, fatigue-critical edges. Conventional methods and longer-pulse lasers (ns/ps) often introduce heat-affected zones (HAZ), recast beads, micro-cracks, edge discoloration, and excessive taper.

Femtosecond (fs) lasers deposit energy faster than heat can diffuse, enabling a near “cold” ablation regime with:

• Extremely low HAZ and negligible recast/burrs → reduced or no post-processing
• Sharp edges & low roughness → improved part strength, sealing, and cosmetics
• High feature fidelity → narrow kerfs, tight radii, minimal taper
• Broad metal compatibility → stainless, titanium, nickel alloys, aluminum, copper, hard-to-machine alloys
• Thin-wall friendly → minimal distortion and color change

What you can make with fs (typical applications)

1) Precision Micro-Cutting

• Medical devices: stainless/titanium micro-components, stents, implant edge finishing
• Electronics & semiconductor tooling: EMI shields and lids, fine outlines for leadframes and frames
• Aerospace: thin-foil separation, compliant lattices and springs
• Energy & e-mobility: battery foils/tabs, current collectors with higher edge integrity

Typical results (material/optics dependent):

• Kerf width commonly in the tens of microns
• <1–2° achievable taper with suitable optics and strategy
• Smooth edges with little to no finishing required

2) Micro-Drilling

• Atomization/spray: precision injector orifices and smooth-bore dispensing tips
• Thermal management: cooling holes, porosity-controlled micro-hole arrays
• Sensors/medical cannulas: high-density arrays with excellent roundness and cylindricity

Typical results:

• Diameters from ~10 µm upward with spiral/trepan strategies
• Negligible recast; consistent entrance/exit quality across arrays

AOFemto series: engineered for production

Designed for integration into 24/7 manufacturing lines, AOFemto combines ultrashort pulses, low-M² beam quality, and industrial stability to deliver repeatable, high-contrast, cold-ablation results.

https://www.a-optowave.com/products/laser-sources/industrial-femtosecond-laser/

Key advantages

• Wavelength flexibility: fundamental ~1030 nm for general metals; ~515 nm (frequency-doubled) improves coupling on high-reflectivity metals (Cu/Al) and reduces splash
• High beam quality (low M²) for tiny spots, narrow kerfs, and tight radii
• Wide process window to balance quality-first vs. takt-time-first recipes
• Integration-ready with high-speed galvos, multi-axis stages, coax/offset vision, and factory I/O
• Stable power & uptime for consistent lot-to-lot performance and lower TCO

Application support: Send your parts → receive sample results, microscopy photos, validated parameter windows, cycle time & per-part cost estimates → scale to line with confidence.

Process thinking: how we hit quality and takt

• Wavelength choice: 1030 nm covers most steels/ti alloys; 515 nm helps on Cu/Al for cleaner bores/edges.
• Pulse energy & rep rate: start just above ablation threshold; favor high-rep/low-energy to limit peak thermal load.
• Scan strategy: multi-pass contour + cross-hatch infill; tune overlap/step to suppress striations and terraces.
• Focus/optics: pick NA for the kerf-to-DOF tradeoff; keep beam path clean to maintain spot quality.
• Assist gas & extraction: N₂/Ar to reduce oxidation; localized extraction/back-pressure for micro-holes.
• Inline QC: coax/side cameras for edge & hole metrology; SPC to lock in repeatability.

Fs vs. other laser sources

Contact us for more information.

Email: info@a-optowave.com