Multiscale multidimensional integrated imaging for precision laser processing (M2I2)

精密激光加工在先进制造方面具有很大的潜力。特征可以在各种材料中以微米的几分之一的大小进行机械加工。使用超短激光脉冲(持续时间小于1皮秒)是很重要的，因为所有激光脉冲能量都以比热扩散更短的时间传递到焦点。因此，所有的材料加工都是在任何能量以热的形式逸出之前完成的，这是该技术高分辨率的基础。超短激光脉冲提供了其他独特的机会，因为它们可以用于透明材料内的三维制造，以及智能技术的一系列应用。这种精密激光加工已经在工业规模上得到了应用，例如用于智能手机的玻璃的精确切割或多维数据存储。随着对小型化和增强功能的不断推动，该行业注定会在未来10年蓬勃发展。制造亚微米级特征的能力为先进技术提供了许多机会。然而，在厘米尺寸的工件中准确定位这些小特征在三维空间中会带来严重的挑战。机器视觉使用集成在制造系统中的成像解决方案，为激光加工提供反馈，以确保设备按设计进行加工。然而，现有的硬件和软件系统无法满足如此高精度的激光加工的挑战性要求。在这个项目中，我们开发了新的硬件和软件解决方案，以实现高分辨率的快速三维成像。我们还引入了新的系统，可以提供正在处理的整个设备的宏观视图。此外，我们建立了创新的光学反馈形式，可用于密切监控激光制造过程。所有这些信息都被合并到一个紧密结合的软件框架中，可以为激光制造系统提供重要信息的快速数据传输。这使得在要求苛刻的应用中能够更快、更精确地对较小的特征进行激光加工，从而能够实现先进技术的工业规模制造。

Precision laser processing has much potential for advanced manufacturing. Features can be machined at a fraction of a micrometre in size in a wide range of materials. The use of ultrashort laser pulses (with duration less than a picosecond) is important since all of the laser pulse energy is delivered to the focus in a timescale shorter than that for thermal diffusion. Therefore, all the material machining is done before any energy can escape as heat, which underpins the high resolution of the technique. Ultrashort laser pulses provide other unique opportunities, since they can be used for three-dimensional fabrication inside transparent materials, with a range of applications for smart technology. Such precision laser processing is already applied on an industrial scale, with examples such as accurate cutting of glass for smartphones or multi-dimensional data storage. With a constant drive for miniaturisation and enhanced functionality, the sector is destined to blossom over the next decade.The ability to fabricate features at the sub-micrometre scale presents many opportunities for advanced technology. However, accurate positioning of such small features in three dimensions inside centimetre scale workpieces creates a serious challenge. Machine vision uses imaging solutions integrated inside the manufacturing system to provide feedback for the laser process to ensure that the device is machined as designed. However, existing hardware and software systems cannot meet the challenging demands of such high precision laser processing.In this project, we develop new hardware and software solutions that will enable rapid three-dimensional imaging at high resolution. We also introduce new systems that can provide a macroscopic view of the entire device being processed. Additionally we establish innovative forms of optical feedback that can be applied to closely monitor the laser manufacturing process. All of this information is merged together inside a cohesive software framework, that can provide quick data transfer of important information to the laser manufacturing system. This enables quicker, more accurate laser processing of smaller features in demanding applications, to enable industrial scale manufacturing of advanced technology.