Cutting-edge
laser applications

Used in all areas of manufacturing
Using a CO2 laser with an integrated

Luxinar SR 25 AOM pulse shape @ 2µs pulse width

acousto-optic modulator (AOM) gives

the advantage of very short rise and fall

2µs demand pulse

times. This reduces heating around the

Luxinar’s SR AOM series is ideal for16

a variety of high-precision processes
panel display market and scribing,engraving, marking and surface
patterning applications whereminimising HAZ is critical. Other thinfilm applications, including those in theautomotive, electronics, lighting andflexible packaging industries, can benefit

from the higher quality cutting edge which
the SR AOM offers when compared tostandard pulsed CO2 lasers.

14Detector voltage (mV)such as microfilm cutting in the flat

~350ns rise time

12
10
864
20
7

7.5

8___________________________

heat-affected zone (HAZ).

18___________________________

processing area which in turn lessens the

8.5

99.5

Time (µs)

1010.51111.5

12Case study:

flat panel display film cuttingPolarised and capacitive films for theWhen cutting these thin layered films

using a CO2 laser with AOM. In some cases,

produces longer pulse rise/fall times oftablet and phone industry are both cut

the film may be mounted on glass, andmust be kiss cut without damage to thesubstrate. In other applications the film

is unsupported, and must simply be cut
cleanly, with minimal debris and HAZ.

An additional benefit of cutting with a CO2 laser with AOM is that, compared to a pulsedwith a standard CO2 laser, which typicallylaser, it achieves a significant reduction in the melted area which can cause film layers toapproximately 60μs, a large HAZ remains

protection film layer. The SR AOM can achieve similar results to a picosecond UV laser

after processing. However, a CO2 laser

with AOM reduces this HAZ and results inbetter edge quality.

stick together. With a SR AOM, layers no longer stick together thus creating an easy-peel
but with significantly lower investment and maintenance costs.

3-layer polarisation film (courtesy of MDI)

100.0µm

100.0µm

Standard CO2 laserWith AOM (c. 30% less HAZ)

5-layer capacitive film cuttingStandard CO2 laserWith AOMCase study:

Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal
display (PDLCD) cutting
PDLCD screens can be used in various

Layers in the film are sensitive to heatwindows to provide privacy by changing

edge quality if cut with a standard CO2

applications such as meeting room

between transparent and non-transparentstates.

which causes discoloration and poor

laser. When cutting with a 9.3µm CO2

laser with AOM, edge quality is smoothand discoloration is greatly reduced as
displayed in the photos below.

x 65x 210

PDLCD is used to provide privacy for a meeting room

Case study:

Backlight unit(BLU) patterning
A CO2 laser can be used with an AOM tocreate a consistent backlighting pattern
on PMMA (acrylic) material. The AOM
allows the user to control the energy

within each pulse when processing inorder to give uniform light distribution
across the finished piece.

Benefits ofAOM lasers vs. conventional
mechanical processing andother lasers:• Create very short pulses with sharp rise/fall times• Ideal for sensitive applications which require lessthermal damage:• Minimised HAZ• An improved cutting edge
• Less discoloration• Reduced melted area

SR AOM series

150W and 75W sealed CO2 laser
sources with integrated AOM
The SR 10 AOM and SR 25 AOM, both

In common with the rest of the SR series,

with rated powers of 150W for the SRintegration, clean and high-quality

available at a wavelength of 9.3µm and25 AOM and 75W for the SR 10 AOM,

add value to the established SR series ofsealed CO2 laser sources from Luxinar. Theintegrated acousto-optic modulator (AOM)
creates much faster optical rise and falltimes of less than 1µs which can minimise

unnecessary heat energy from typical pulse
rise/fall times of approximately 60µs.

the SR AOM range offers simple

laser processing, and low running andmaintenance costs. The laser tube of theSR AOM range has more than 20% power
headroom to give extended lifetime.

Applications laboratories
Could a CO2 laser be used to enhance your thin film cutting process? We can help you tofind out by testing samples of your product.

Our applications lab facilities are open to both new and existing customers and OEMs.

Our laboratories are well equipped to carry out a range of processes, including marking
and cutting.

We offer rapid sample turnaround times, detailed application reports, and complimentary
advice from our experienced applications engineers.

We carry out application tests using your actual product samples. Guided by yourobjectives, we will try to replicate the conditions of your application as closely as possible
in the lab.

Upon completion, you will receive a detailed report outlining our findings, along withsome laser-processed samples for your evaluation. Most application tests can becompleted within 10 working days.

Whatever your process, we can help you to find the best laser for your application.

Contact us on https://www.luxinar.com/contact/ or info@luxinar.com
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