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US 2014/0175067 A1Published application
Methods of forming images by laser micromachining
AssigneeElectro Scientific Industries, Inc.
InventorsRobert Reichenbach, Jeffrey Howerton, Hisashi Matsumoto, Fang Shan, Michael Shane Noel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and laser processing system (2) addresses a substrate (102) with three different sets of laser processing parameters to achieve different surface effects in the substrate (102). A first set of laser parameters is employed to form a recess (106) in the substrate. A second set of laser parameters is employed to polish a surface (108) of the recess (106). A third set of laser parameters is employed to modify a polished surface (108) of the recess (106) to have optical characteristics that satisfy conditions for a desirable visual appearance.
Claims23
A method for processing a substrate with different sets of laser processing parameters to achieve different surface effects in the substrate, the material having an outer surface with a first surface characteristic, the method comprising:
- employing a first set of laser processing parameters with first parameter values operable to form a recess in the substrate to a depth beneath the outer surface, wherein the recess in the substrate has a recessed surface with a second surface characteristic;
- employing a second set of laser processing parameters with second parameter values operable to alter the recessed surface to have a third surface characteristic that is different from the second surface characteristic, wherein at least one of the second parameter values is different from a corresponding one of the first parameter values;
- and
- employing a third set of laser processing parameters with third parameter values operable to alter the recessed surface to have a fourth surface characteristic that is different from the second surface characteristic and the third surface characteristic, wherein at least one of the third parameter values is different from a corresponding one of the first parameter values, and wherein at least the one of third parameter values or another of the third parameter values is different from a corresponding one of the second parameter values.
1 more element
A method for processing a substrate with different sets of laser processing parameters to achieve different surface effects in the substrate, the material having an outer surface with a first surface characteristic, the method comprising:
- employing a first set of laser processing parameters with first parameter values operable to engrave the substrate by forming a recess in the substrate to a depth beneath the outer surface, wherein the recess in the substrate has a recessed surface with a second surface characteristic;
- employing a second set of laser processing parameters with second parameter values operable to polish the recessed surface to have a third surface characteristic that is different from the second surface characteristic, wherein at least one of the second parameter values is different from a corresponding one of the first parameter values;
- and
- employing a third set of laser processing parameters with third parameter values operable to modify the recessed surface to have a fourth surface characteristic that is different from the second surface characteristic and the third surface characteristic, wherein at least one of the third parameter values is different from a corresponding one of the first parameter values, and wherein at least the one of third parameter values or another of the third parameter values is different from a corresponding one of the second parameter values.
1 more element
A laser system for processing a substrate with different sets of laser processing parameters to achieve different surface effects in the substrate, the material having an outer surface with a first surface characteristic, the method comprising:
- a first laser configured to provide a first set of laser processing parameters with first parameter values operable to form a recess in the substrate to a depth beneath the outer surface, wherein the recess in the substrate has a recessed surface with a second surface characteristic;
- a second laser configured to provide a second set of laser processing parameters with second parameter values operable to alter the recessed surface to have a third surface characteristic that is different from the second surface characteristic, wherein at least one of the second parameter values is different from a corresponding one of the first parameter values, wherein the second laser is the first laser or a different laser;
- and
- a third laser configured to provide a third set of laser processing parameters with third parameter values operable to alter the recessed surface to have a fourth surface characteristic that is different from the second surface characteristic and the third surface characteristic, wherein at least one of the third parameter values is different from a corresponding one of the first parameter values, and wherein at least the one of third parameter values or another of the third parameter values is different from a corresponding one of the second parameter values, wherein the third laser is the first or second laser or a different laser.
1 more element
A method of modifying the appearance of an aluminum surface, comprising:
- forming a recess in an aluminum surface to provide a recessed aluminum surface exhibiting a first light absorption level;
- and
- modifying the recessed aluminum surface by application of laser output to process regions of the recessed aluminum surface at a scan speed in a range of between about 15 mm/sec and about 35 mm/sec and at a pitch between successive scans in a range of between about 5 μm and about 15 μm, wherein the laser output includes laser pulses having a pulse duration in a range from about 1 ps to about 10 ns a laser spot diameter in a range of between about 1 μm and about 30 μm, and wherein application of the laser output causes processed regions of the recessed aluminum surface to exhibit a second light absorption level that is greater than the first light absorption level, thereby causing the processed regions of the recessed aluminum surface to appear black to a human eye viewing the processed regions of the recessed aluminum surface.
A method of modifying the appearance of an aluminum surface, comprising:
- forming a recess in an aluminum surface to provide a recessed aluminum surface exhibiting a first surface appearance;
- and
- modifying the recessed aluminum surface by application of laser output to process regions of the recessed aluminum surface at a scan speed in a range of between about 60 mm/sec and about 80 mm/sec and at a pitch between successive scans in a range of between about 10 μm and about 20 μm, wherein the laser output includes laser pulses having a green laser wavelength, a laser spot diameter in a range of between about 50 μm and about 100 μm, and a power in a range from about 3 W to about 6 W, and wherein application of the laser output causes processed regions of the recessed aluminum surface to exhibit a second surface appearance that appears whiter than the first surface appearance, thereby causing the processed regions of the recessed aluminum surface to appear white to a human eye viewing the processed regions of the recessed aluminum surface.
A method of modifying the appearance of an aluminum surface, comprising:
- forming a recess in an aluminum surface to provide a recessed aluminum surface exhibiting a first surface appearance;
- and
- modifying the recessed aluminum surface by application of laser output to process separate regions of the recessed aluminum surface with about 30 to 70 laser pulses at a pulse repetition rate in a range from about 50 kHz to about 500 kHz to form separate recesses separated by a center-to-center distance between adjacent recesses in a range from about 30 μm to about 60 μm and having a depth in a range from about 5 μM to about 15 μm, wherein the laser output includes laser pulses having an infrared laser wavelength, a laser spot diameter in a range of between about 15 μm and about 40 μm, and a power in a range from about 1 W to about 10 W, and wherein application of the laser output causes processed regions of the recessed aluminum surface to exhibit a second surface appearance that appears whiter than the first surface appearance, thereby causing the processed regions of the recessed aluminum surface to appear white to a human eye viewing the processed regions of the recessed aluminum surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.