At the new MKS European Laser Applications Lab in Darmstadt, the interaction between the laser beam source and materials is tested in detail.
MKS Inc., a global provider of enabling technologies that transform our world, announces it has opened a dedicated laser applications laboratory in Darmstadt, Germany, bringing its high-performance Spectra-Physics® short- and ultra-short-pulse laser technology closer to customers across Europe. The new MKS European Laser Applications Lab enables system integrators, machine builders, and manufacturing companies to evaluate laser processes using their own materials and application-specific parameters. The facility is equipped with Spectra-Physics lasers operating in both the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) wavelength ranges, covering a wide variety of power classes and housed in two dedicated laboratory rooms.. This investment further strengthens the MKS Photonics Solutions Division as a whole and showcases the synergies between the three product brands within its photonics portfolio. Alongside Spectra-Physics lasers, MKS’ Ophir® measurement solutions, as well as Newport™ optical tables, opto-mechanical components, and precision motion systems, will be utilized and demonstrated in the facility.
Spectra-Physics, a product brand of MKS with a heritage dating back to 1961, was the world’s first commercial company to develop lasers. Today, MKS continues to set the standard for pulsed lasers: Spectra-Physics lasers offer average powers up to 100 watts with excellent mode quality in the UV range and occupy a leading position in this market segment. Although Asia remains the largest market for UV lasers, high-power pulsed lasers are also becoming increasingly important across Europe, as Markus Ruetering, Managing Director and Vice President of Sales for EMEIA and AMER, MKS Photonics Solutions Division, explains: “In Europe, high-quality process solutions for micro-material processing are being developed, which are used in high-tech manufacturing facilities worldwide. The laser beam is expected to deliver precision at high throughput. To achieve both, the material and laser parameters must be optimally matched.”
This is where MKS’s European Laser Applications Lab can provide a solution. The pressure to succeed is particularly high for machine builders and system integrators when developing new machines and processes. Project managers can now have a proof of concept carried out on-site in Europe. Until now, such material tests were conducted by MKS exclusively in the USA. Particularly for sensitive investigations, where the customer cannot dispatch samples for confidentiality reasons and must be present in person for all tests, the European laboratory in Darmstadt significantly reduces the logistical burden. Its proximity to Frankfurt Airport and central location within Europe make the site highly attractive. Even at an early stage of a project, it is possible to promptly determine which laser source and process parameters will deliver the best results for a given application. This reduces the risk of costly detours when selecting laser and system technology.
Customers share this view. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Rung, Technical Director, Laser Machines with Schmoll Maschinen, explains: “We very much welcome the MKS initiative to operate a European Laser Applications Laboratory. The interaction between the laser and the material is crucial in the development of equipment for printed circuit board manufacturing and related high-tech markets. We see enormous potential here to work with the MKS team in the lab on a project-by-project basis to investigate new material properties and define suitable laser parameters.”
The applications of pulsed lasers in micro- and precision-machining are diverse. They range from cutting glass for displays to drilling the finest holes in semiconductor manufacturing, to material structuring, and ablation in electronics manufacturing. Two IR ultra-short-pulse lasers from the Spectra-Physics IceFyre® series are available for testing at the MKS European Laser Applications Lab. In the UV spectrum, both short-pulse and ultra-short-pulse lasers from the Talon®, Explorer®, and IceFyre series can be used for investigations. For subsequent material analysis, MKS opted for a high-quality 3D laser scanning microscope that combines three different measurement principles in a single device: confocal laser microscopy, focus variation, and white-light interferometry. In addition, a compact digital microscope enables detailed optical observations and rapid analyses.
The laboratory’s location and equipment are crucial for Markus Ruetering: “With the European Laser Applications Lab, we are making a targeted investment in Europe as a center of innovation. The proximity to our customers and the high-quality equipment enable faster development cycles and even closer technical collaboration.”