Predetermined breaking points for depanelization
Especially when using hard-brittle materials such as ceramics made of aluminum oxide, silicon nitride or low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) for the production of circuit carriers in hybrid electronics, the production in a so-called panel arrangement, which means the arrangement of several individual circuits on a raw substrate or wafer for joint production as a batch, has proven itself.
With the help of laser scribing, scribe lines are inserted on the substrate. This bullet hole or these bullet holes are visible in the form of closely spaced blind holes or notches. A blind hole is only lasered to a certain depth. This creates predetermined breaking points while avoiding a breakthrough. This weakening of the material serves as a perforation line. After the production run, breaking along these scribe lines enables the mechanical separation of the multiple panel into the individual components.
With the pearl chain-like stringing of blind holes, both the penetration depth and the spacing or overlapping of the individual blind holes can be determined. If there is a large overlap, this is referred to as the production of a notch trench, which in turn has a strong resemblance to the notch trenches introduced during the punching of unfired ceramic substrates (green state). This processing technology enables more efficient production of individual parts by means of a panel arrangement not only for ceramic materials, but also for glasses, silicon and even some metals.
Laser processing of ceramics and other materials
Due to its special properties in terms of thermal conductivity and electrical insulation, ceramics are increasingly being used in electronic circuits. Different types of lasers are used for laser processing, such as laser scribing, notching, drilling, structuring and cutting of ceramics and other materials:
- CO2 lasers or gas lasers operate in the infrared range at wavelengths of approximately 9 µm to 11 µm. High output power and comparatively high efficiency are crucial.
- YAG lasers or solid-state lasers are used for finely structured materials. These are characterized by a smaller focal point and a correspondingly narrower cutting gap.
- Ultra-short pulse lasers (USP lasers) offer the advantage of particularly short laser pulses. The result is extremely precise cutting edges and low material stress.
Wafer dicing, abrasive cutting or sawing continue to be used as classic processing variants for hard-brittle materials, for small components under 5x5 mm2 also in combination with laser processing.
General Technical Details
The advantages of laser scribing in detail:
- non-contact process, no micro-cracks in the material
- minimal heat-affected zone and high scribing speed
- high flexibility because of individually determinable scribing depth and distance
- optimum area utilisation and material yield due to smallest possible joint widths
- clean, precise cutting with high quality of the individual elements
New processing method
NextGen Scribing: Cold. Clean. Precise.
With the new process "NextGen Laser Scribing" using USP laser technology, a new technology is now being utilized that eliminates the disadvantages of the two previous standard methods (CO2 laser and YAG laser) and thereby scores points in terms of quality, especially when product quality requires it. For example, this is the case when processing already printed, pre-structured, or even already populated panel substrates.
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Technology & Laser Type
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Processing Method
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Pulse Length & Regime
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Mechanism of Action
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Process Flow
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Post-Processing
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Quality & Surface Effects
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Precision & Material Utilization
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Overall Quality
The new “NextGen” process combines efficiency, cleanliness, and yield in an optimized procedure. During “cold” ablation, no heat is introduced into the material, which prevents potential material damage and microcracks. Due to the physical effect of sublimation, the material also evaporates directly, meaning no disruptive melt residues or burrs are formed. This completely eliminates the time-consuming post-processing required by the standard process. At the same time, the significantly narrower kerf lines enable finer structuring, allowing up to 25% more usable area to be obtained from the same substrate.
Technical details of the “NextGen” process
The advantages of USP laser scribing in detail:
- Contactless process
- Optimal area utilization and material yield due to the smallest possible kerf width
- "Cold ablation" - little to no thermal damage to the material
➔ No microcracks, stresses, or breakouts
- No residues, ejections, melt adhesions, or burr formation
➔ No mechanical post-processing
- No damage to neighboring structures
- No vitrification effects
- Extremely high reproducibility
- Minimal layer ablation is in the micrometer range
- Large working distance enables problem-free processing of 3D structures
Processing possibilities
- Processing space typically 115 x 115 x 0.5 mm (4“ x 4“)
- Material thicknesses 0.12–1 mm, depending on material and processing geometry
- Micro-machining of all material types possible
- Typical materials in the production of circuit carriers:
- Aluminum oxide (Al2O3, sapphire)
- Aluminum nitride (AlN)
- Silicon (Si) and silicon nitride (Si3N4)
- Sintered silicon carbide (SSiC)
- Recrystallized silicon carbide (RSiC)
- Glass (ceramic), quartz
- Ceramic printed circuit boards or multilayer (LTCC)
- Tolerances ± 0.05 to ± 0.02 mm
Further services for you
Also discover our other diverse processing technologies. We manufacture precise and individual components according to your specifications - from laser cutting and laser structuring to wafer dicing and precision bending.
