Laser processing in GHz regime: from medical devices to robotic applications (Invited Paper)

Femtosecond laser processing in GHz-burst regime offers enhanced control of thermal effects, enabling faster and more precise material modification. This work highlights three implementations demonstrating its versatility: (i) fabrication of moulds for microfluidic devices, (ii) high-throughput drilling of through-glass vias (TGVs), and (iii) surface treatment of 3D parts using a robot-assisted fibre-delivered system. All demonstrations use a 50-W, 1030-nm Satsuma X laser (Amplitude). For microfluidics, GHz-burst machining produces moulds with sub-10-µm accuracy and surface roughness below 300 nm, reducing production time to under an hour and cost to a few hundred euros. For microelectronics, the technique drills high-aspect-ratio holes (AS > 150) in fused silica in under 12 ms per hole, greatly improving throughput. Finally, the low pulse energy of GHz bursts enables stable fibre delivery. A hollow-core fibre mounted on a robotic arm transported up to 20 W while performing surface treatments on a 3D stainless-steel part.