Excimer lasers can be used to shape a wide range of materials including polymers, metals, glass, ceramics and even diamonds. The direct-write approach using CAD/CAM software for laser machining in the dimensions of microns allows almost any shape to be generated on a surface.
The combination of compact excimer lasers and precision motion systems, video imaging and CAD/CAM software allows precision machining on scale-sizes in the 1 to 100 micron range.
Raster scanning on the work surface is one means of producing such three-dimensional structures. This technique forms the part by removing the material layer by layer.
