3-dimensional micromachining with femtosecond laser pulses

A method of treating a material comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating a beam having femtosecond pulses;
• (b) splitting said beam into at least four separate beams having femtosecond pulses;
• (c) directing said separate beams onto a target point within said material such that said femtosecond pulses of said separate beams coincide to create an intensity sufficient to treat said material and;
• (d) delaying at least one of said beams such that said femtosecond pulses of said beams coincide at said target point.

A method of micromachining a feature in a sample of transparent material below the surface of said sample comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating an ultraviolet wavelength laser beam having femtosecond pulses;
• (b) splitting said laser beam into four separate laser beams having femtosecond pulses;
• (c) directing said four separate laser beams onto a target point within said sample such that said femtosecond pulses of said four separate beams overlap to create an intensity sufficient to form said feature in said sample;
• and
• (c) delaying at least one of said four separate laser beams such that said femtosecond pulses of said beams overlap at said target point.

Apparatus for treating a material comprising:

• (a) means for generating a beam having femtosecond pulses;
• (b) means for splitting said beam into at least four separate beams having femtosecond pulses;
• (c) means for directing said separate beams onto a target point within a sample such that said femtosecond pulses of said separate beams overlap to create and intensity sufficient to treat said sample and;
• (d) means for delaying at least one of said beams such that said femtosecond pulses of said beams coincide at said target point.