Systems and methods for formation of continuous channels within transparent materials
A system and method for producing continuous channels within a transparent material is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the system and method includes forming a channel with a laser beam, such that the continuous channel has at least one vent from the channel to outside the transparent material.
1 . A system comprising:
a laser source configured to generate a laser beam;
a focus optic configured to converge the laser beam to a first focal region having a first width within a vent positioned within a transparent material;
one or more translation stages configured to move the first focal region from the vent and below a top surface of the transparent material along a first scan path; and
a controller configured to control at least one of the laser source and the one or more translation stages to form a continuous channel within the transparent material generally along the first scan path, wherein the continuous channel has the vent to outside the transparent material located at least at one end, wherein the controller is further configured to control the translation stage to move a second focal region having a second width from the vent along a second scan path that is substantially parallel to and separated by a separation distance from the first scan path to widen a width of the continuous channel, wherein the second width of the second focal region along the second scan path partially overlaps the first width of the first focal region along the first scan path.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the at least one translation stage to move the first focal region from inside the transparent material to outside the transparent material along a continuation of the first scan path to elongate the continuous channel within the transparent material generally along the continuation of the first scan path, such that the continuous channel has vents to outside the transparent material located at least at two ends.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the separation distance is based upon a width of the focal region.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the separation distance is substantially along one or more of 3 mutually orthogonal axes, including: a lateral (X) axis, a horizontal (Y) axis, and a vertical (Z) axis.
5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the separation distance is between about 1 and 100 micrometers.
6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an ablation product removal system configured to remove ablation product from within the continuous channel.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the ablation product removal system includes a solution, wherein the solution has a pH that is complementary or neutral to a pH of the ablation product.
8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the ablation product removal system includes an ultrasonic cleaner.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the laser beam is pulsed at a repetition rate of at least about 1 kHz.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the laser beam has a pulse duration no greater than 1 nanosecond.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the transparent material comprises at least one of: General Purpose Polystyrene (GPPS), Methylmethacrylate Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (MABS), Styrene Acrylonitrile (SAN), Styrene Methyl Methacrylate (SMMA), Methacrylate Butadiene Styrene (MBS), Styrene-Butadiene (SB) Copolymer, Polycarbonate (PC), High Heat Polycarbonate (HH PC), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Glycol-Modified Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET-G), Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) (PMMA), Polyethyleneimine (PEI), Polyethersulfone (PES), Polysulfone (PSU), Polypropylene Homopolymer (PP H), Random Copolymerized Polypropylene (PP R), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polylactic Acid (PLA), glass, Styrene-Ethylene/Butylene-Styrene (SEBS), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), Thermoplastic Olefin (TPO), crystal, sapphire, and quartz.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the focus optic is further configured to converge the laser beam at a numerical aperture of at least about 0.3.
13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the laser beam has a wavelength in a range between about 400 and 4000 nanometers.
14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum system configured to introduce a vacuum to the continuous channel by way of one or more vents.
15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first scan path at a first surface of the transparent material is generally normal to the first surface of the transparent material.