A fluorine gas laser that produces a 157-nanometer wavelength can cut micron-scale features and sub-micron tolerances in ordinarily difficult to machine materials. The capabilities in the UV laser come from developer J P Sercel Associates, Hollis, N.H. (jpsalaser.com). The company says it can perform a variety of precision operations for medical devices with its F2 (fluorine gas) laser, optics, calorimetry, and beam delivery technology. These let the company test vacuum-UV optics and material processing at 157 nanometers (nm).

“It's not surprising UV light goes through totally clear materials, such as glass,” says Douglas Pulfer, a spokesman for J P Sercel. “That makes the material difficult to cut or process with long-wavelength lasers. But a 193-nm beam couples well enough to cut some glass. However, clear glass, such as fused silica, lets even 193-nm light through. So you need the 157 nm to produce photo ablation,” he says.

Typical applications for the short-wavelength beams include cutting micro-fluidics, sensors, nozzles, micro-screens, particle traps, and MEMS. The technology is also capable of making micro-opto electromechanical devices, and biosensors (lab-on-a-chip), micro-vias, doing microdicing, photoablation, and photomachining. Fluorine lasers can micro-machine glass and metals, handle nondestructive high-resolution marking, micro-lithography to one-micron resolution, high-speed drilling, selective-material ablation, doping, and annealing. The company says it can process polymers and plastics, ceramics, glass-hard dielectrics, metals, semiconductor materials, and diamonds.