Novel optical fiber-based laser direct writing process for micromachining of metal

Abstract

A laser micromachining technique for the fabrication of metallic microstructures is proposed. The fabrication of microstructures is done by laser-induced wet etching that adopts an optical fiber as a machining tool. The laser beam delivered through the multimode fiber directly irradiates on the workpiece while maintaining a proper gap to avoid fiber damage. The manufacture of microstructures with high surface quality and good size uniformity is realized. Microgrooves with aspect ratio over 10 and microholes with a nearly straight cross-section can be produced by the proposed technique. The overall etching results are examined closely with respect to process variables. © 2012 Chinese Optics Letters.