Potomac Photonics Buys Coherent Excimer Laser

Microfabrication company Potomac Photonics announced Friday that it purchased a Coherent Inc. excimer laser for its contract laser micromachining unit. Suitable for rapid prototyping and production of miniature parts, the laser will be integrated on a system capable of machining flat and 3-D parts.

With the ability to achieve features as small as 2 µm, customers in the medical, biotech and electronics fields can e-mail their drawings to the company to have their parts made quickly and cost-effectively.

Because excimer lasers emit concentrated light within the ultraviolet spectrum, they are especially suited to machine complex features in polymer and glass material. They can be used in microhole drilling, precision cutting and etching applications.

“The investment in this laser is consistent with our strategy to continually upgrade and expand our manufacturing capabilities in order to provide our customers with the best laser fabrication solutions on the market,” said Mike Adelstein, vice president of Potomac.

For more information, visit: www.potomac-laser.com

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About Potomac Photonics Inc.

Published: October 2010

Glossary

electronics: That branch of science involved in the study and utilization of the motion, emissions and behaviors of currents of electrical energy flowing through gases, vacuums, semiconductors and conductors, not to be confused with electrics, which deals primarily with the conduction of large currents of electricity through metals.
etching: The engraving of a surface by acid, acid fumes or a tool; a process extensively used in the manufacture of reticles.
excimer laser: An excimer laser is a type of ultraviolet laser that emits short pulses of light in the ultraviolet spectrum. The term excimer is derived from excited dimer, reflecting the nature of the gain medium used in these lasers. Excimer lasers are widely used in various industrial, medical, and scientific applications due to their ability to deliver high-energy, UV light in short pulses. Key features and characteristics of excimer lasers include: Excimer molecules: The gain medium of an excimer...
glass: A noncrystalline, inorganic mixture of various metallic oxides fused by heating with glassifiers such as silica, or boric or phosphoric oxides. Common window or bottle glass is a mixture of soda, lime and sand, melted and cast, rolled or blown to shape. Most glasses are transparent in the visible spectrum and up to about 2.5 µm in the infrared, but some are opaque such as natural obsidian; these are, nevertheless, useful as mirror blanks. Traces of some elements such as cobalt, copper and...
polymer: Polymers are large molecules composed of repeating structural units called monomers. These monomers are chemically bonded together to form long chains or networks, creating a macromolecular structure. The process of linking monomers together is known as polymerization. Polymers can be classified into several categories based on their structure, properties, and mode of synthesis. Some common types of polymers include: Synthetic polymers: These are human-made polymers produced through...

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