Abstract: A method of laser marking, suitable for the marking of hard transparent materials without causing microcracking, comprises arranging a sample of target material and a sample of markable material such that they are spaced apart; directing irradiation having an energy fluence above the ablation threshold of the target material onto the target material so that some of it is ablated and thrown onto a surface of the markable material; and subjecting the surface of the markable material to irradiation having an energy fluence below the ablation threshold of the markable material to induce an interaction between the ablated material and the surface which marks the surface with the ablated material. Different colours of mark can be obtained by using different target materials, and the tone of the mark can be controlled as desired. Apparatus for implementing the method permits control of the method in real time.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for deflashing integrated circuit (IC) packages by laser irradiation. The method and apparatus include two lasers scanning flash area for performing deflashing operation. CO2 laser is used to remove top layer of flash and YAG laser is used to remove the thin layer of flash remained after CO2 laser deflashing. CO2 laser deflashing and following YAG laser deflashing can effectively remove flash and avoid damage of heat sinks as well as leads and bars in the IC packages.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing surface contamination on a flexible circuit 34 for an inkjet printer cartridge by pulsed laser irradiation in air. The contamination 3 around and inside the tiny inkjet nozzles 4 can be completely removed without any damage on the flexible circuit 34 by the laser irradiation. The cleaning mechanisms are laser-induced ablation of the contamination and fast momentum transferring from the laser beam to the contamination materials. Compared with chemical solution cleaning and plasma etching, this technique has high throughput and does not cause flexible circuit damage, due to the fact that there are no water and chemical solutions involved in the process. Meanwhile, the laser irradiation is only limited in a small area around the tiny inkjet nozzles 4. There is no laser interaction with the thin conductive circuit 34.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for cutting a substrate using dual laser irradiation. Two lasers are provided, one focussed on a first substrate layer and one on a second layer so as to ablate the said layers. The wavelength and other parameters of the lasers are selected so as to correspond with the layer material to be ablated. The invention is particularly suitable for the singulation of IC packages.

Abstract: In a flat panel display, a laser spacer array is created on the transparent substrate 10′ to maintain the two substrates at a pre-determined spacing in the finished panel. The spacers 20 are distributed between the two substrates, which are sealed using sealant 18 resulting in a cell gap with pre-determined spacing distance.