From Holemaking to Cutting: Femtosecond Laser Enables Mica Processing Technology

Mica is a natural mineral material with excellent electrical, mechanical and chemical properties, which is widely used in the fields of electronics, electric power, communication, aerospace and so on. Among them, the processing of mica flakes is a very important technology in these fields. In recent years, with the continuous progress of science and technology, femtosecond laser technology has been gradually applied to the processing of mica flakes, which has the advantages of high precision, high efficiency and high reliability.

Femtosecond laser is a kind of ultra-short pulse laser, whose pulse width is on the order of femtosecond (1 femtosecond is equal to 10-15 seconds), and has extremely high instantaneous power and energy density. Using these characteristics of femtosecond lasers, high-precision processing of materials, such as punching, cutting, etching, etc., can be achieved. In the processing of mica flakes, the application of femtosecond laser punching and cutting equipment has become more and more widespread.

Femtosecond laser microporous processing equipment for mica flakes usually uses lasers with pulse widths of a few femtoseconds to a few hundred femtoseconds, which focus the laser beam on the mica flakes through a focusing lens to form a very small spot. Under the action of the laser, the electrons inside the mica sheet absorb the light energy and rapidly jump to a high-energy state, subsequently transferring the energy to the lattice through inelastic collisions, causing instantaneous high temperatures or generating plasma in the local lattice. Over time, the effect of these energies gradually extends to the surrounding lattice, forming holes. By controlling parameters such as the number of laser pulses and pulse width, the size and depth of the perforation can be controlled.

Femtosecond laser microporous processing offers higher precision and smaller hole diameters than traditional mechanical drilling methods. At the same time, since laser processing is non-contact, the effect of mechanical stress on the material can be avoided, thus improving processing quality and processing efficiency. In addition, femtosecond laser drilling can also achieve high precision drilling on mica sheets with complex shapes, which facilitates subsequent circuit wiring and component installation.

In addition to punching, femtosecond laser cutting equipment is also widely used in the processing of mica sheets. Similar to drilling, femtosecond laser cutting equipment utilises the high energy and high precision characteristics of the laser to cut materials by focusing the laser beam on the mica sheet. During the cutting process, the laser energy acts on the surface of the material, generating high temperature and plasma, causing the material to produce micro-cracks in an instant and expanding along a predetermined path, and ultimately separating the material.

Femtosecond laser cutting offers higher precision and smaller kerf than traditional cutting methods. At the same time, since laser processing is non-contact, the effects of mechanical stress and thermal influence on the material can be avoided, thus improving cutting quality and efficiency. In addition, femtosecond laser cutting also enables the cutting of complex shapes and the fabrication of microfabricated structures, providing more possibilities for further applications of mica sheets.

Femtosecond laser microporous processing and cutting equipment has significant advantages and application prospects in the processing of mica flakes. With the continuous development and improvement of the technology, it is believed that more breakthroughs and innovations will be made in this field.