Revolutionizing the Dicing Process With Laser Technology

As chipmakers scale devices and wafers to thinner sizes, dicing is evolving as a critical value-add process step. With the increased demand for smaller dies, manufacturers are focusing on optimizing their dicing process to increase cost-effectiveness and throughput while also maximizing yields.

For many device layers, conventional laser grooving equipment is sufficient to achieve extremely narrow kerf widths (10mm). However, such laser grooving can leave some surface layer that is un-etchable, especially in porous low-k dielectrics, which would result in non-clean edges when paired with blade dicing processes.

Cost-Effectiveness

Revolutionizing the Dicing Process with Laser Technology

One of the main issues facing the aviation industry is ice formation and accretion. As a result, many methods have been developed to delay or inhibit ice formation and to prevent ice adhesion. Among them, superhydrophobic anti-icing and photothermal de-icing surfaces have emerged as a promising solution to this problem.

However, a key challenge in achieving effective de-icing of aircraft is the cost. This is especially true for smaller-sized planes and helicopters, which often require high volumes of fluid boom-spray de-icing.

This system would also be able to reduce the amount of water that is needed for the de-icing process and could help conserve the environment by not using a lot of water in the process. Ultimately, this system could save pilots and airline companies both money and time.

Currently, the power consumption for icing and de-icing is very high, as many methods for preventing ice formation require large amounts of electricity. A significant reduction in power usage can be achieved by using laser-structured surfaces. Moreover, these surfaces can be manufactured at low costs and may be suitable for a wide range of applications.

Cleanliness

When it comes to the icing process, the cleanliness of the product can make or break a successful application. The same can be said for laser technology, which is a powerful tool that has revolutionized thousands of different industries.

Lasers are a class of electrical devices that produce intense light by passing electrons through a very small, highly focused electromagnetic field. They are used in applications ranging from consumer electronics and information technology to science, industry, medicine, law enforcement, and even the military.

However, most people are not aware that lasers can also be used to perform a number of other useful tasks, including creating 3D structures and making holograms.

While it may be hard to believe, some lasers can produce beams that are highly coherent, meaning they can emit a single ray of light that is very sharply defined. This makes them a perfect choice for producing optically stunning structures.

In the ice-detection and de-icing arena, laser technology is already being used to identify and remove icy surfaces from aircraft. While ground based systems are still in development, the ability to detect and de-ice an aircraft while it is airborne could be a major game changer. This can save money on maintenance costs and reduce the risk of injury to passengers, crew, and the environment.

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Flexibility

Ice forming and de-icing phenomena can cause damage to many critical systems, such as solar panels, locks and dams, heat pumps, aircraft, power lines, and oil platforms. These problems can lead to increased energy consumption, lower energy conversion efficiency, and the onset of mechanical and electrical malfunctions, as well as deteriorating the safety of these devices and facilities.

These LIT coatings have also been reported to exhibit reduced wettability, which can inhibit water from adhering to the surface. However, a major challenge is the development of such materials that are robust to repeated ice/de-icing, mechanical abrasion, and outdoor exposure.

This research aims to demonstrate that a smart coating fabricated with laser etching can efficiently render a surface ice-free without the need for energetically expensive interface melting. This is done by reducing the surface’s refractory metal concentration and thereby increasing the energy of the laser energy, which in turn produces a significant increase in the coating’s thermal conductivity. The resulting enhanced thermal conductivity of the laser machined coating allows it to effectively trap air at the interface, which further improves its anti-icing properties.

Accuracy

Laser technology is the basis of many modern and efficient production processes. It is capable of engraving defined structures in a wide range of materials and applications, including tool surfaces. Moreover, it can produce various textures with interesting visual effects that make it ideal for a wide variety of applications.

A powerful q-switched laser emitter physically breaks apart pigment to produce a layer of white frost-like substance. This effect is triggered by the heat that the laser dicing San Jose delivers to the target, similar to the way in which a tattoo or brown birthmark breaks apart melanin.

This method can also be used for engraved surface patterns to achieve a desired look, such as the formation of a smooth or polished surface. This can be achieved in a number of ways, from direct laser writing (DLW) to laser-induced periodic surface structuring (LIPSS) and laser interference patterning (DLIP).

The anti-icing properties of these superhydrophobic surfaces were evaluated at ambient temperatures by measuring the freezing time of 8 uL water droplets. These results demonstrate that the treated surface can delay ice formation by at least three times longer than the untreated reference.

Additionally, the micro-gratings and cauliflower-like protrusions can trap air on the textured surface, which reduces the heat loss through contact heat conduction, in comparison with the original sample. This also enhances the anti-icing properties of the textured surface, as demonstrated by the difference in freezing times between the DLIP-treated airfoil and the reference.

These anti-icing results suggest that the textured surface can be used as a hybrid icing protection system. This would provide an effective and cost-efficient solution for reducing ice accretion in aircraft engines by using both a refractory substrate and an electrothermal integrated power source (IPS) in combination with an anti-icing treatment.

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