Laser system for material processing in the micrometer range

灵活的激光材料加工系统对于各种材料的精确精细结构至关重要，例如在陶瓷微系统技术中。拜罗伊特大学功能材料系目前在化学传感器技术以及能量转换材料和技术领域的研究工作中，约有三分之一依赖于激光系统进行微米范围内的材料加工，而且这一趋势还在增加。除了取代过时的UV激光器，该激光器已被制造商停产，也容易出现故障，应用的现代皮秒激光系统还可用于加工功能材料，热量输入最小，结构宽度较小，但具有非常高的精度，速度和灵活性。直接构建低温和高温共烧陶瓷（LTCC或HTCC陶瓷）和微米范围内的图案涂层的能力对于自热传感器元件或小型化分析设备的小型化以及制造高质量的平面高频谐振器来说是特别有利的，甚至是必不可少的。由于这种“冷”烧蚀的低热输入允许更温和的材料去除，而不会对底层造成热损伤。气体传感器的复杂功能层或柔性塑料基板或箔上的金属层只能以这种方式构建。特别是与不同材料类别的粉末的气溶胶冷沉积（粉末气溶胶沉积法，PADM）相结合，该方法已进一步发展为该领域的欧洲领导者，使全新的应用和材料配对成为可能，因为层的形成和结构都可以在室温下进行。应用皮秒激光系统，配备了基于摄像头的定位系统、自动调焦和测量显微镜，是功能材料系及其研究工作的基本重要、灵活和高精度的工具，可以显著扩大可加工材料的光谱和结构宽度，使原型的生产相对简单和快速。新的功能，测量效果以及创新的方法是可以想象的，并将在新的研究项目中开发，特别是在功能材料的粉末气溶胶沉积方面。

A flexible laser material processing system is of utmost importance for the precise fine structuring of a wide range of materials, for example in ceramic microsystems technology. About one third of the current research work of the Department of Functional Materials at the University of Bayreuth in the field of chemical sensor technology as well as materials and technologies for energy conversion is dependent on the laser system for material processing in the micrometer range - and the trend is increasing. In addition to the replacement of the obsolete UV laser, which has been discontinued by the manufacturer and is also susceptible to faults, the modern picosecond laser system applied for can also be used to process functional materials with minimal heat input and smaller structure widths but with very high precision, speed and flexibility. The ability to directly structure low and high temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC or HTCC ceramics) and to pattern coatings in the micrometer range is particularly advantageous or even indispensable for the miniaturization of self-heated sensor elements or miniaturized analytical devices as well as for the manufacturing of planar high-frequency resonators of high quality. The low thermal input due to this "cold" ablation allows a gentler material removal without thermal damage of the underlying layers. Complex functional layers for gas sensors or metallic layers on flexible plastic substrates or foils can only be structured in this way. Especially the combination with the aerosol-based cold deposition of powders of different material classes (Powder Aerosol Deposition Method, PADM), which has been further developed as the European leader in this field, enables completely new applications and material pairings, since both layer formation and structuring are then possible at room temperature. The applied picosecond laser system, equipped with a camera-based positioning system, automatic focusing and a measuring microscope, represents an elementary important, flexible and high-precision tool for the Department of Functional Materials and its research work, with which the spectrum of processable materials and structure widths can be significantly expanded and which enables the comparatively simple and fast production of prototypes. New functionalities, measuring effects as well as innovative approaches are conceivable and are to be developed in new research projects, especially in connection with the powder aerosol deposition of functional materials.