Example Application of Laser Marker

1. Shallow laser etching
Literally laser etches material surface shallowly. Acceptable materials such as metal, resin range widely. As the miniaturization of micro-electronic parts has been advancing recently, the need for laser marking on an IC package is expanding. Marking of several μm depth is required in some applications because deep laser etching on an IC package might cause damage on IC itself.

(a) Material: Metal


(b) Material: Magnesium


(c) Material: Resin
Photo 1. Shallow laser marking

2. Deep laser etching
Accepts metals and etches metal surface deeply. Metal which is painted after being laser marked, die, name/number plate are the typical applications. This marking replaces the current punching and etching.

(a) Material: Aluminum


(b) Material: Silicon steel sheet


(c) Material: Silicon
Photo 2. Deep laser etching

3. Black (oxidizing) marking
Oxidizes only the surface of material into black, resulting in a smooth and cut-less surface. This marking applies to lubricious parts. Also it is suited for metal of iron group, stainless steel, silicon wafer, etc., where visibility is an important issue.

(a) Material: Stainless steel


(b) Material: Gold plating


(c) Material: Silicon
Photo 3. Black marking

4. Melt marking (on silicon wafer)
As the fundamental wave (1064nm) laser marking produces debris, electronic components and material need a rinsing process after marking. By comparison, the second harmonic wave (532nm) laser does not damage the inside of a wafer but melts only the surface with less debris.

Material: Silicon wafer
Photo 4. Melt marking

5. Foam marking (for resin)
Makes the surface of resin forming. Most of resin does not change in color but shows whitish appearance which is owing to diffused reflection of the foam.

Material: Resin
Photo 5. Foam marking

6. Surface removal marking
Removes the paint layer (layers when multi-painted) on surface with laser beam to reveal the base material.

(a) Surface material: Paint


(b) Surface material: Paint
Photo6. Surface removal marking

7. Figure marking
Utilizes the data furnished by software such as commercial CAD software to laser mark. Some of the laser markers equipped with a built-in simple CAD software can perform figure marking using the data they made. The CAD software prepares data such as logo marks, special symbols, characters, letters (including hatched letters), and cutting lines for laser cutting.

(a) Logo mark


(b) Snow crystal pattern
Photo 7. Figure marking

8. Barcode marking
When you use a laser marker for barcode, you specify some data such as reference-bar width, barcode area; then you have only to input the desired information such as numerical data. The marker automatically performs marking.

Photo 8. Barcode marking

9. Two-dimensional barcode marking
Advantageously yields a very fine barcode. Laser marker can condenses projecting laser beam to 20μm or less with the aid of combination of fθ lens; consequently cell size, then the size of two-dimensional barcode is reduced.

Like barcode marking, you have only to define data first corresponding to each code of two-dimensional barcode. Then, you only input the desired information. The marker conducts the marking automatically.

(a) Data matrix


(b) QR code
Photo 9. Two-dimensional barcode marking

10. Photo marking
Retrieves digital data of photo taken by digital camera for laser marking.

Photo 10. Photo marking

11. Cutting
Laser cutting of metal is one of the laser machining utilized widely in industry. The laser rated on order of kW can cut steel plate of several mm thick. Most of the laser processors, however, are rated not more than 50W, they cannot cut such a plate. Laser marker cuts such as metal (aluminum, iron group), resin (polyimide) of not more than 50μm thick.

Laser marker scans freely in its marking area and performs cutting of complicated figure, using cutting data furnished by CAD.

(a) Cutting aluminum foil


(b) Cutting polyamide foil


(c) Cutting shielded wire
Photo 11. Laser cutting

12. Trimming
It is a fine removal processing to adjust the characteristics of electronic components such as hybrid IC (HIC), chip resistor, network resistor. Recently, very high accuracy is required for resistance of a resistor such as chip resistor. The laser beam projected from a laser marker scans to trim the resistor while its resistance is measured. When the desired resistance is reached, the marker stops to finish the fine adjustment of resistance.

Photo 12. Laser trimming

13. Removal
It is removal processing to remove surface layer such as metal plating and coating of copper wire.

(a) Removal of plating on metal surface


(b) Removal of coating of copper wire
Photo 13. Removal processing