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【Description】：
Chanxan's UV picosecond laser processing system delivers high-precision Alumina (Al₂O₃) ceramic substrate cutting & drilling.
Alumina (Al₂O₃) ceramics remain the most widely adopted technical ceramic in the electronics industry, serving as the foundation for thick-film and thin-film substrates, sensor platforms, LED packaging, and high-frequency circuit boards. Its combination of high electrical insulation, moderate thermal conductivity (~20–30 W/m·K), and cost-effectiveness makes it the material of choice for millions of electronic components produced annually.
However, the very properties that make alumina attractive also make it notoriously difficult to machine. Mechanical blade dicing and conventional drilling face three critical limitations:
Micro-crack propagation: The brittle nature of alumina (fracture toughness ~3–4 MPa·m¹/₂) means that mechanical force generates cracks that extend 50–100 μm beyond the cut line. These subsurface defects become failure initiation sites during thermal cycling or mechanical stress.
Rapid tool wear: Diamond-impregnated blades wear quickly against alumina's high hardness (Mohs 9), requiring frequent dressing and replacement—adding significant consumable costs and downtime.
High tooling costs for custom geometries: Each new hole pattern or cut geometry requires expensive custom tooling, making prototyping and small-batch production economically unviable.
To bypass these mechanical limitations, utilizing an advanced ceramic laser processing system has become the industry standard for precision alumina machining. Laser processing eliminates mechanical contact, reduces tooling costs, and enables rapid design iteration through direct CAD-to-machine workflows.
Chanxan's ceramic laser processing systems employ UV (355 nm) and picosecond laser configurations specifically optimized for alumina's optical and thermal properties.
Why UV and picosecond for alumina:
Alumina exhibits high transparency at IR wavelengths but strong absorption in the UV spectrum. The 355 nm wavelength delivers:
High absorption coefficient — energy is deposited at the surface, minimizing bulk heating.
Cold ablation mechanism — photon energy directly breaks Al–O bonds without thermal diffusion.
Minimal heat-affected zone (HAZ) — critical for preserving substrate flatness and preventing thermal stress fractures.
For thicker alumina substrates (> 1 mm), our picosecond laser option (8–10 ps pulse duration) provides even greater precision through nonlinear absorption, enabling clean cutting without the micro-cracks that plague nanosecond laser processing.
| Parameter | Mechanical Blade | CO₂ Laser (Thermal) | UV Nanosecond Laser | Chanxan UV Picosecond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerf Width | 150–300 μm | 100–200 μm | 20–40 μm | 8–15 μm |
| Edge Chipping | 30–80 μm | 20–50 μm | 5–15 μm | < 3 μm |
| Heat-Affected Zone | N/A (Mechanical) | Large (>50μm) | Moderate (10-20μm) | Minimal (<5μm) |
Chanxan's Ceramic Laser Drilling and Cutting System is specifically engineered for precision alumina processing. Key features include:
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| UV 355 nm Picosecond Laser Source | Cold ablation with < 5 μm HAZ; no micro-cracks |
| High-Precision Linear Motor Stages | ±2 μm positioning accuracy; 500 mm/s scanning speed |
| CCD Vision Auto-Alignment System | Automatic fiducial recognition; < 1 μm alignment accuracy |
| Proprietary Trepanning Drilling Algorithm | Dynamic path optimization for zero-taper, zero-crack vias |
| CAD-to-Machine Direct Import | No tooling costs; rapid prototyping to production |
| Automated Handling Options | Cassette-to-cassette loading for high-volume manufacturing |
Chanxan Laser offers professional engineering support and advanced laser systems purpose-built for Al₂O₃ processing. Send us your CAD drawings or material samples for a Free Sample Dicing/Drilling Test and receive a comprehensive evaluation report within 48 hours.
| Free solution
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