NASHUA, N.H., Dec. 3, 2012 — Resonetics is pleased to announce its fifth patent granted by the U.S. Patent Office. The new patent is for apparatus for minimizing a heat-affected zone (HAZ) during laser micro-machining.
The patent addresses a common problem in laser micromachining. In the application of lasers to micro-fabrication there is always a degree of undesired side effects due to the spread of laser energy to adjacent material. These include loss of geometrical fidelity of the cut, irreversible modification of the adjacent material properties and changes in its surface characteristics. These effects are often more pronounced in polymers.
According to Dr. Sergey Broude, V.P. Technology at Resonetics, “Our invention manages the delivery of laser energy to the target so that the HAZ is minimized or effectively eliminated while the ablation throughput is kept as high as possible for a given laser. This efficient management is achieved by optimizing the configuration of the illumination field and the target scanning pattern.”
Added Tom Burns, “The new patent is another example of how Resonetics continues to be at the forefront of innovation in laser micromachining. It shows that we’re dedicated to providing our customers with products and services that offer the highest levels of quality and value.”