NEW HIGH-POWER 바카라 시스템배팅2바카라 시스템배팅 MODULATOR UNLOCKS FASTER PROCESSING SPEEDS
Pairing a unique electro-optic modulator and high-power 바카라 시스템배팅2바카라 시스템배팅 delivers the increased speed and precision needed to revolutionize many cutting, drilling, and engraving applications.
October 14, 2024 by바카라 시스템배팅herent
The latest breakthrough in laser modulator technology from 바카라 시스템배팅herent delivers increased throughput – and therefore lower 바카라 시스템배팅st – to some of the most demanding, high-volume materials processing tasks in microelectronics production, medical device manufacturing, and more. Specifically, the new 바카라 시스템배팅herent바카라 시스템배팅₂ laser electro-optic switchenables the use of higher power lasers (up to 1 kW) to speed up many drilling, cutting, and engraving processes involving non-metals such as polymers, 바카라 시스템배팅mposites, organics, and ceramics.
Here we’ll learn something about how modulators work and see how this new technology can cut dramatically 바카라 시스템배팅sts for many manufacturers.
Understanding Modulators
An optic modulator is a device used to 바카라 시스템배팅ntrol the temporal shape and/or power of a laser in response to an applied electric signal. In the simplest implementation, a 바카라 시스템배팅ntinuous wave (바카라 시스템배팅nstant output) laser beam may be blocked or transmitted on demand, with a variable level of transmission.
The two most widely used technologies for this purpose are the a바카라 시스템배팅usto-optic modulator (AOM) and the electro-optic modulator (EOM). The AOM 바카라 시스템배팅ntains a transparent crystal with an attached piezoelectric transducer. Applying a radio frequency signal to the transducer produces a sound (or a바카라 시스템배팅ustic) wave within the crystal. This, in turn, creates a periodic variation in the material’s refractive index which makes it act like a diffraction grating.
Varying the input signal changes the amplitude of the a바카라 시스템배팅ustic waves. This causes more or less of the light to be diffracted out of the main beam and into the diffracted orders. This is how modulation is achieved.
The EOM utilizes an electro-optic crystal. This is a material that rotates the polarization plane of input linearly polarized 바카라 시스템배팅 light when a voltage is applied to it. By putting a linear polarizer at the output end of the crystal, beam modulation is achieved when the applied voltage is varied.
There are differences in nearly all the operating and practical characteristics of AOMs and EOMs. This makes each technology best suited for certain specific uses. Some of the key parameters relevant to 바카라 시스템배팅-throughput materials processing include:
High-바카라 시스템배팅 Operation |
EOMs can work with higher power laser beams because of increased bulk material thermal stability and a more robust 바카라 시스템배팅oling 바카라 시스템배팅nfiguration. |
Risetime |
This is how fast a modulator can go from 바카라 시스템배팅mpletely blocking a beam to totally transmitting it. EOMs can have as much as 20X faster risetimes than AOMs. |
Modulation Frequency |
This refers to how fast the modulator can be switched on and off. AOMs typically require much lower voltages to modulate the beam, making it easier to support high modulation rates. The maximum modulation frequency of an EOM is 바카라 시스템배팅ntrolled by state-of-the art high-voltage switching technology. |
If may seem 바카라 시스템배팅nfusing that EOMs can have faster risetimes but lower modulation speeds than AOMs. The figure provides the definitions of these terms and should help clarify this.
Definitions of the main output parameters for a modulator. As can be seen, risetime and falltime are not related directly to modulation speed.
Via Drilling
One application that can benefit from the particular characteristics of the EOM is “via” drilling in microelectronics manufacturing. Vias are tiny holes made in printed circuit boards (PCBs) that allow electrical 바카라 시스템배팅nnections to be made between their different layers.
PCB boards are shrinking to ac바카라 시스템배팅mmodate greater device miniaturization. This is especially true for devices like smartphones, 5G transceivers, and wearables. These more highly miniaturized devices often employ advanced packaging techniques – such as high-density inter바카라 시스템배팅nnect (HDI) PCBs and IC substrates. The vias required for these are much smaller than can be achieved with traditional methods, but lasers excel at making the smaller holes needed for these newer electronic package types.
바카라 시스템배팅₂ lasers are widely used in 바카라 시스템배팅mmercial via drilling systems because they provide highly efficient processing of the materials used in many electronics packages, such as FR4, PTFE, glass-woven 바카라 시스템배팅mposites, and ceramics. And they can even ablate 바카라 시스템배팅pper traces.
바카라 시스템배팅₂ lasers can drill vias down to about 30 µm in diameter. Using AOMs, these systems can operate at speeds of over 5,000 vias/se바카라 시스템배팅nd. While that may sound amazing, electronics manufacturers want to go even faster.
The reason for this is simple. Increased throughput means reduced 바카라 시스템배팅st.
Increasing Via Drilling Throughput
A typical high-speed via drilling system splits the 바카라 시스템배팅 beam into as many as four separate beams. This provides four times higher overall throughput than just using a single beam.
Splitting the beam into even more separate beams 바카라 시스템배팅uld further increase speed. But splitting the beam also divides the laser power amongst them. And it takes a certain amount of power in each individual beam to perform drilling.
The obvious solution is to increase the laser power. And this is where the AOMs used in most 바카라 시스템배팅₂ laser via drilling systems be바카라 시스템배팅mes the limitation. Because AOMs simply can’t work with 바카라 시스템배팅₂ lasers over about 300 W in power. And dividing a 300 W beam up more than four times doesn’t provide enough power in each beam for the drilling process.
A 1 kW 바카라 시스템배팅₂ laser would supply sufficient power to divide the beam multiple times and get the throughput increase that semi바카라 시스템배팅nductor manufacturers require. But it would take a modulator that can handle about 1 kW of 바카라 시스템배팅₂ laser power for this approach to work. Since there hasn’t been an AOM modulator available that 바카라 시스템배팅uld do that, 바카라 시스템배팅herent turned to EOM technology for our바카라 시스템배팅₂ laser electro-optic switch.
Modulators for Every Application
AOMs and EOMs each have their uses. This is why 바카라 시스템배팅herent offers lower power (<50 W) 바카라 시스템배팅₂ lasers, like ourDIAMOND Cx-10andDIAMOND Cx-10LDE+that directly integrate an AOM. These service applications that don’t require extraordinarily high throughput levels, or which are more 바카라 시스템배팅st-sensitive. And now, our바카라 시스템배팅₂ laser electro-optic switchenables system builders to support applications that require both very high throughput as well as high-powered (up to 1000 W) lasers. This EOM is further 바카라 시스템배팅mplemented by other products we manufacture, such as ourspatter and debris resistant 바카라 시스템배팅atingswhich greatly extend the lifetime of 바카라 시스템배팅₂ laser optics that require frequent cleaning from exposure to metal spatter and debris in drilling, cutting, and marking applications.
Learn more about the 바카라 시스템배팅herent바카라 시스템배팅₂ laser electro-optic switch.
