Trumpf has extended the TruMicro Series 5000 to give users the option of acquiring a licence to expand the range of potential applications for the ultrashort pulsed laser.
A licensing agreement between Trumpf Laser and the University of Michigan makes this possible.
Picosecond lasers, such as those that are part of the TruMicro Series 5000, make it possible to vaporise any material quickly, so that no detectable heat-affected zone is created. This feature opens up entirely new applications in areas such as the automotive industry, photovoltaic cell production, semiconductor production and medical technology, among others.
Many applications of picosecond lasers are protected, however, by a patent held by the University of Michigan, USA. The patent covers microprocessing applications of ultrashort pulsed lasers used to ablate variety of materials without heat affect in the surrounding area. The patent is granted in a number of countries, including Germany and the United States.