White Paper: Expanding Markets On A Miniature Scale

High-precision laser micromachining is enabling the cost-effective creation of extremely small features in a wide range of ceramic components.

By Dr. Alan Ferguson, Director, Oxford Lasers

Components made from alumina (Al2O3), silicon nitride (Si3N4), aluminum nitride (AlN) and other ceramic materials are used in a wide range of electronic, automotive, aerospace, medical, and other high-tech applications. As these application areas continue to grow, manufacturers must find new and better solutions for machining these materials so that they can produce parts more cost effectively and on an increasingly smaller scale. While lasers have been used to drill, cut, and scribe ceramics for many years, the latest generation of laser systems offers new micromachining possibilities in ceramics.