When it comes to highest power laser applications CO2-lasers are one of the most prominent choices. In most applications the raw laser beam which exhibits a Gaussian or Gaussian-like shape is employed. In contrast, homogeneous top hat profiles or customized beam shapes offer several application-specific advantages. Up to now the possibilities of beam shaping for CO2-lasers were very limited based on traditional approaches only. To make the advantages of homogeneous beam profiles also accessible for CO2 sources LIMO has expanded its range of production capabilities for the manufacturing of ZnSe micro-optics. LIMO's proprietary production technology is based on computer-aided design and no etching technique is involved at all. A Gaussian-to-top-hat converter made of ZnSe is demonstrated. The properties of the micro-lens surface, the generated beam profile with a CO2-laser as well as first application results are shown.
Direct laser patterning of various materials is today widely used in several micro-system production lines like inkjet
printing, solar cell technology, flat-panel display production and medicine. Typically single-mode solid state lasers and
their higher harmonics are used especially for machining of holes and grooves. The most prominent lasers are pulsed
Nd:YAG lasers and their harmonics @ 266, 355 and 532 nm. Recently, the striking advantages of flat top intensity
distributions for the efficiency and quality of these processes were demonstrated. The use of LIMO's compact Gaussian-to-
top-hat converter enables the creation of steeper and sharper edges. Additionally, the higher energy efficiency of
rectangular top hat profiles compared to smooth, circular Gaussian shapes allows for faster patterning. A standard
method to reduce process times is the use of optical scanning systems. Yet, the application of Gaussian-to-top-hat
converters in combination with a scanner was hindered by distortions of the top hat introduced by the F-Theta focussing
lens of the scanners even at very small deflection angles (<2°). We solved this challenge by implementing an alternative
scanning approach (patent pending). Scanning results obtained with a 50x50μm2 top hat field (homogeneity down to
<10%) in a scan area of 156x156mm2 will be presented. The minimal distortions of the top hat observed within the scan
area make LIMO's compact Gaussian-to-top-hat converter excellently suited for industrial scanning applications, e.g. for
the processing of solar panels.
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