Ultra-short pulse lasers

Very demanding micromachining applications use lasers with very short pulses, ranging from 100 femtoseconds to 10 picoseconds. Reducing the pulse duration increases the depth of energy penetration and reduces energy dissipation. This allows processing at a rate faster than it takes for heat to diffuse inside the material. This is known as “cold processing” because the temperature of the component does not rise during the process, ensuring that the properties of the substance are unchanged and there is no heat-affected zone.