Rofin has introduced a new laser series for high-speed micro material processing with a special focus on photovoltaic manufacturing. The new PowerLine L series introduces q-switched solid state lasers specifically designed for micro material processing applications which require high average power and high pulse energy. Examples are thin film removal on glass and flexible materials, ablation of dielectric layers, silicon processing, drilling and cutting. Emitting in the 1064nm wavelength range, the PowerLine L 300 completes Rofin‘s laser product range for edge deletion applications. Whereas Rofin‘s DQ series offers 500-1000W output power, the PowerLine L 300 features more than 200W power at 10KHz, along side smaller optical fibres and an optimised square fibre with 400µm diameter. According to the company, square fibres provide higher efficiency than round fibres because they machine a bigger area of the workpiece per laser pulse.
Selective opening of dielectric layers and direct laser doping currently draw a lot of interest in crystalline solar cell manufacturing. For both applications the frequency-doubled PowerLine L 100 SHG has already been used in various research projects. The laser source offers optimum beam characteristics and sufficiently high power for large production scale. Green lasers with 532nm output show the desired near-surface absorption in silicon and can be equipped a wide range of long-living optical components and fibres. With optimised fibres, a top-hat beam profile can be realised which provides homogenous energy distribution within the entire laser spot area.