Micro-hole fabricated inside FOTURAN glass using femtosecond laser writing and chemical etching

Vertical micro-holes were fabricated inside a photosensitive glass (FOTURAN) by focused femtosecond laser (λ = 775 nm) writing, followed by heat treatment and wet chemical etching in 8% hydrofluoric acid solution for 50 min. The micro-holes were analyzed by optical and scanning electron microscopy, and was found they own circular cross-section and clear edge. At present, micro-holes with aspect ratio of about 7 is achieved. By varying the incident laser fluence in a range of 2.3–36.2 J/cm² and the laser writing velocity in 100–1000 μm/s, the influences of femtosecond laser parameters on the formation of micro-holes are characterized as that: writing velocities hardly affect the micro-hole diameter, while relatively lower laser fluences result in smaller diameter, and the cross-section is more circular in this case. The possible reason for this phenomenon is discussed.     

Fabrication of microchannels in glass using focused femtosecond laser radiation and selective chemical etching

We use the combination of femtosecond laser dielectric modification and selective chemical etching to fabricate high-quality microchannels in glass. The photoinduced modification morphology has been studied in fused silica and in borosilicate glass BK7, using ultra-high spatial resolution techniques of selective chemical etching followed by atomic force or scanning electron microscopy. The analysis shows that the high differential etch rate inside the modified regions, is determined by the presence of polarization-dependent self-ordered periodic nanocracks or nanoporous structures. We also investigate the optimum irradiation conditions needed to produce high-aspect ratio microchannels with small symmetric cross-sections and smooth walls. PACS 42.62.-b; 42.65.Re; 81.05.Kf; 87.80.Mj     

Fabrication of microstructures in Foturan glass using infrared femtosecond laser pulses and chemical etching

In this study, a method for the fabrication of microstructures on the surface and inside Foturan glass by femtosecond laser-induced modification was developed. This technique was followed by heat treatment to crystallize the modified area, and the specimen was then placed in an 8% HF acid solution for chemical etching. The fabricated microstructures were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrated that the etching time is an important parameter in the fabrication of microstructures on Foturan glass. An example of a tapered U-shaped microchannel with a minimized neck diameter of about 5 μm at the central point for cell detection is presented.     

Three-dimensional direct femtosecond laser writing of second-order nonlinearities in glass

We demonstrate that direct femtosecond laser writing in silver-containing zinc and gallium phosphate glass enables generation of three-dimensional (3D) optical second-order nonlinear microstructures having an χ(2) value about 2.5 times that of quartz. The proposed physical model involves photo-reduction, photo-dissociation, and migration of silver species within the glass matrix. 3D laser-written second-order nonlinear structures could become a new class of nonlinear optical components.     

Optical waveguide writing inside Foturan glass with femtosecond laser pulses

We investigated the femtosecond laser writing of optical waveguides inside Foturan glass at various pulse energies and focusing depths. An optimal waveguide fabricated solely by femtosecond laser irradiation showed a refractive index modulation of ∼1.7×10^-3 and a minimum transmission loss of ∼0.80 dB/cm. This type of waveguide had lower transmission loss than those fabricated by a hybrid process of femtosecond laser exposure and following thermal treatment. An optical splitter was also fabricated at high pulse energy. PACS 42.65.Re; 42.82.Et; 42.70.Gi     

Selective metallization of photostructurable glass by femtosecond laser direct writing for biochip application

We report the selective metallization of photostructurable glass by femtosecond (fs) laser direct writing followed by electroless copper (Cu) plating. It was found that a Cu thin film can be deposited only on the rough surface of glass ablated by the fs laser. The deposited Cu thin film exhibits strong adhesion and excellent electrical properties. A Cu film can even be deposited on the internal wall of a hollow microchannel inside photostructurable glass by the multiphoton absorption of the fs laser. To show the use of this technique for micro-total-analysis-system (μ-TAS) applications, the fabrication of a microheater operating at temperatures up to 200 °C was demonstrated. PACS 81.05.Kf; 85.40.Ls; 87.85.Va     

One-off writing of multimicrogratings on glass by two interfered femtosecond laser pulses

Multimicrogratings are one-off written on silicate glass by two interfered femtosecond pulsed laser beams with the aid of a mask. The period and depth of the multimicrogratings are revealed by optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The depth is dependent on both the colliding angle between the two interfered laser beams and the laser pulse energy, but the period relies on the colliding angle only. We also observe a series of grooves formed at the middle of each bulge of the multimicrogratings and attribute it to the higher-order modulation arising from second-harmonic generation of the femtosecond laser pulse during the one-off writing processes.     

Influence of scanning velocity on femtosecond laser direct writing lines on FOTURAN glass

Lines are induced on the surface of a photosensitive (FOTURAN) glass by focused femtosecond laser transverse writing with scanning velocity in a wide range of 40- 1800μm/s. The formed lines are analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical microscope (OM). It is observed that three distinct morphologies of lines are produced depending on the scanning velocity. Lines written in low velocity level (40 - 100 μm/s) and high velocity level (1000 - 1800 μm/s) are uniform and regular, while those written in moderate velocity level (150 - 600 μm/s) are rough. The influence of scanning velocity is explained based on different pulses overlapping or cumulative dose of laser exposure in irradiated area. Fabrication of shallow groove on the surface is also demonstrated.     

Tailoring the chemical behavior of aluminum for selective etching by laser interference metallurgy

The chemical behavior of aluminum modified by laser interference metallurgy (LIMET) is investigated. LIMET allows the single-step creation of periodic patterns with a well defined long-range order on material surfaces. This technique can also induce local and periodical oxidation on aluminum surfaces, which follows the ordered array imprinted by laser interference. The thin oxide layer built up during laser structuring enhances the chemical stability of the irradiated zones. Ordered local oxidation permits the selective etching of an exposed aluminum surface. The etch pits are generated preferentially at the interference minima positions. In comparison to conventional methods, this process significantly improves the homogeneity of the initiation sites of pits. Furthermore, LIMET not only influences the first stages of pits initiation, but also the final etch morphology formed during the total electrochemical etching of the surfaces.     

Micro-channel etching characteristics enhancement by femtosecond laser processing high-temperature lattice in fused silica glass

A fused silica glass micro-channel can be formed by chemical etching after femtosecond laser irradiation, and the successful etching probability is only 48%. In order to improve the micro-channel fabrication success probability,the method of processing a high-temperature lattice by a femtosecond laser pulse train is provided. With the same pulse energy and scanning speed, the success probability can be increased to 98% by optimizing pulse delay.The enhancement is mainly caused by the nanostructure, which changes from a periodic slabs structure to some intensive and loose pore structures. In this Letter, the optimum pulse energy distribution ratio to the etching is also investigated.     

Three-dimensional integration of microoptical components buried inside photosensitive glass by femtosecond laser direct writing

We report the three-dimensional (3D) integration of microoptical components such as microlenses, micromirrors and optical waveguides in a single glass chip by femtosecond (fs) laser direct writing. First, two types of microoptical lenses were fabricated inside photosensitive Foturan glass by forming hollow microstructures using fs laser direct writing followed by thermal treatment, successive wet etching and additional annealing. One type of lens is the cylindrical microlens with a curvature radius R of 1.0 mm, and the other is the plano-convex microlens with radius R of 0.75 mm. Subsequently, by the continuous procedure of hollow microstructure fabrication, a micromirror was integrated with the plano-convex microlens in the single glass chip. Further integration of waveguides was performed by internal refractive index modification using fs laser direct writing after the hollow structure fabrication of the microlens and the micromirror. A demonstration of the laser beam transmission in the integrated optical microdevice shows that the 3D integration of waveguides with a micromirror and a microoptical lens in a single glass chip is highly effective for light beam guiding and focusing. PACS 42.62.-b; 81.05.Kf; 42.82.Cr; 82.50.Pt; 42.79.Gn     

Fabrication of glass micro-prisms using ultra-fast laser pulses with chemical etching process

In this study, a new process of glass micro-prism structures is investigated by an ultra-fast laser irradiation with chemical etching process. The ultra-fast laser is employed by an all-in-one femtosecond laser (FS-laser) system with the amplifier as an excitation source for patterning the structures. Here, the center wavelength of laser is frequency-doubled to 517 nm. Besides, the repetition rate and pulse width of laser are 100 kHz and 350 fs, respectively. First, the embedded gratings of glass with different pitches can be fabricated using a FS-laser process. Afterwards, the glass samples are placed in the hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution for 15 min to develop structures. Finally, the results of this study demonstrated that the V-cut micro-prisms are successfully formed by controlling etching concentration between intrinsic glass material and modified areas.     

Direct fabrication of a microfluidic chip for electrophoresis analysis by water-assisted femtosecond laser writing in porous glass

We report the direct fabrication of a microfluidic chip composed of two high-aspect ratio microfluidic channels with lengths of 3.5 cm and 8 mm in a glass substrate by femtosecond laser micromachining. The fabrication mainly consists of two steps: 1) writing microchannels and microchambers in a porous glass by scanning a tightly focused laser beam; 2) high-temperature annealing of the glass sample to collapse all the nanopores in the glass. Migration of derivatized amino acids is observed in the microfluidic channel by applying electric voltage across the long-migration microchannel.     

Optical waveguide fabrication and integration with a micro-mirror inside photosensitive glass by femtosecond laser direct writing

Photosensitive glass is a potentially important material for micro-fluidic devices that can be integrated with micro-optical components for biochemical analysis. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of optical waveguides inside glass by femtosecond laser direct writing. The influence of the laser parameters on the waveguide properties is investigated, and it is revealed that the waveguide mode can be well controlled. The single mode is achieved at a low writing energy, while the multimode is achieved with increasing energy. In spite of a longitudinally elongated elliptical shape of the cross-sectional profile, the far-field pattern of the single-mode waveguide shows an almost symmetric profile. The measured propagation loss and the coupling loss are evaluated to be ∼0.6 dB/cm and ∼1.6 dB at a wavelength of 632.8 nm, respectively, under the conditions of 1.0–2.0 μJ pulse energy and 200–500 μm/s scan speed. The increased optical loss is associated with a higher waveguide mode at higher writing energy. Furthermore, the integration of waveguides and a micromirror made of a hollow microplate inside the glass is demonstrated to bend the laser beam at an angle of 90° in a small chip. The bending loss is estimated to be smaller than 0.3 dB. PACS 42.62.-b; 42.82.Cr; 82.50.Pt; 42.79.Gn; 42.81.Qb     

Three-dimensional microfluidic channel with arbitrary length and configuration fabricated inside glass by femtosecond laser direct writing

We demonstrate, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, fabrication of three-dimensional microfluidic channels with arbitrary lengths and configurations inside glass by femtosecond laser direct writing. The main fabrication process includes two steps: (1) direct formation of hollow microchannels in a porous glass substrate immersed in water by femtosecond laser ablation and (2) postannealing of the glass substrate at ～1150°C by which the porous glass can be consolidated. We show that a square-wavelike channel with a total length of ～1.4 cm and a diameter of ～64 μm can be easily produced ～250 μm beneath the glass surface.     

3D integration of microcomponents in a single glass chip by femtosecond laser direct writing for biochemical analysis

3D integration of microcomponents in a single glass chip by femtosecond laser direct writing followed by post annealing and successive wet etching is described for application to biochemical analysis. Integration of microfluidics and microoptics realized some functional microdevices like a μ-fluidic dye laser and a biosensor. As one of practical applications, we demonstrate inspection of living microorganisms using the microchip with 3D microfluidic structures fabricated by the present technique.     

Mechanism study of femtosecond laser induced selective metallization (FLISM) on glass surfaces

We investigate the mechanism of selective metallization on glass surfaces with the assistance of femtosecond laser irradiation followed by electroless plating. Irradiation of femtosecond laser makes it possible to selectively deposit copper microstructures in the irradiated area on glass surfaces coated with silver nitrate films. The energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses reveal that silver atoms are produced on the surface of grooves formed by laser ablation, which serve as catalysis seeds for subsequent electroless copper plating.     

Laser writing techniques for photomask fabrication using a femtosecond laser

Photomasks are the backbone of microfabrication industries. Currently they are fabricated by a lithographic process, which is very expensive and time consuming since it is a multi-step process. These issues can be addressed by fabricating photomasks by direct femtosecond laser writing, which is a single-step process and comparatively cheaper and faster than lithography. In this paper we discuss our investigations on the effect of two types of laser writing techniques, namely front- and rear-side laser writing, with regard to the feature size and the edge quality of a feature. It is proved conclusively that for the patterning of masks, front-side laser writing is a better technique than rear-side laser writing with regard to smaller feature size and better edge quality. Moreover the energy required for front-side laser writing is considerably lower than that for rear-side laser writing. Received: 22 May 2001 / Accepted: 14 September 2001 / Published online: 17 October 2001     

The effect of selective chemical etching on the directivity pattern for radiation of a semiconductor laser

The effect of the selective wet chemical etching of the emitting surface on the directivity pattern of radiation in the plane normal to the p-n junction is studied for InGaP/GaAs lasers with InGaAs quantum wells. It is found by atomic-force microscopy that the cylindrical lens (converging or diverging, depending on the type of etchant) is self-formed on the emitting surface due to the different etching rate of wide-gap layers (InGaP) and active layers (GaAs, InGaAs) of the lasers. By adjusting the corresponding etching time, the aperture angle of the laser radiation pattern in the plane normal to the p-n junction can be changed in the range of 57°–82° at the initial aperture angle at the half maximum level of 6°.