-Article By David Lui
Laser direct-write is a new processing technology that allows the rapid fabrication of micro devices and circuits. These micro devices and circuits find applications in a variety of areas such as microelectronics, photonics, MEMS, and MOEMS. This technology utilizes low temperature processing (200-350°C) and does not require the use of masks, screens, molds, or stamps. It also avoids the use of phororesists and complex chemistries with associated costs and potential environmental consequences. Laser direct-write technology is able to produce features as small as a few microns in dimension.
Today, there are two dominant processing technologies in the microelectronics industry: thick-film and thin-film. Thickfilm technology utilizes imaged screens to print materials on a substrate followed
by firing at high temperature, typically between 800-1200°C. Successive screenprinting and firing process steps are used to build the circuit. Thjck-film technology has been used to fabricate Multi-Chip Modules (MCMs) and 3-D circuitry via a Low Temperature (-850°C) Co-fired Ceramic (LTC C) process. Thick-film technology cannot easily produce lines and spaces smaller than -100 Mm (0.004″) wide.
Animal testing has long been an established protocol in drug discovery programs. But there are systemic issues with the far from reliable methodology. In fact, only 10% of the drugs that move from animal testing to human clinical trials succeeds. Such low yields increase the time and expense required to get pharmaceuticals to market, fueling…
In the field of microfluidics, where precision is key to innovation and application success, our expertise at Potomac Photonics sets a standard. We specialize in the art of laser drilling precise small holes in glass slides and coverslips, a critical capability for the fabrication of microfluidic devices. These devices play a pivotal role in various…
The world today seems consumed with fears about Artificial Intelligence, otherwise known as AI. Writers, journalists, ad copywriters, teachers, and artists are fearful their jobs will be lost to computers but in manufacturing we have been applying a subset of AI to manufacturing for decades with positive results. Like other forms of AI, Machine Learning…
