Laser Drilling for PCB and Precision Applications
Laser drilling of printed circuit boards and IC substrates
Modern PCBs face the challenge of integrating increasingly complex and powerful electronic components.
This requires an increasing number of blind vias and a smaller line spacing.
Laser drilling is an efficient method: It is a non-contact process that enables precise blind vias with a diameter of 150 µm to 10 µm and thus meets the advancing miniaturization requirements without significantly affecting production costs.
The laser enables the processing of different materials from classic FR4 to high-tech materials such as ABF.
How does laser drilling of PCBs work at the Photonics Systems Group?
The laser as a high-precision tool for drilling PCBs is particularly efficient for microvias with diameters of 80 µm and smaller.
The laser is moved using the latest Galvo technology, allowing a wide range of drilling strategies such as trepanning or percusion drilling to be used flexibly and varied within the workpiece.
No tool changes are required and the laser tool is completely wear-free.
The Photonics System Group offers you a wide range of configurations for processing your PCBs.
Whether a multi-use tool for routing and drilling for efficient processing of rigid and flexible PCBs or a specialized version for drilling interconnects of ultra-HDI boards and IC interposer substrates, the Photonics Systems Group is at your side with its unique process know-how.
We enable you to achieve the optimum result for your specific requirements.
Our machine solutions are user-friendly, designed for 24/7 industrial operation and can be fully automated on request.
The Photonics Systems Group is at your side as a strong partner – from the feasibility study to the selection of the optimum process machine and the appropriate level of automation – all from a single source.
Advantages of laser drilling compared to conventional drilling methods
Cost-effective, precise, fast
Compared to conventional drilling methods, laser technology offers decisive advantages:
- Large process window: In conjunction with a wear-free tool, they offer maximum price stability with the highest quality.
- Highest Microvia reliability: Through precise and consistent drilling results.
- Low maintenance and servicing costs: as there is no mechanical wear.
- Non-contact process: No mechanical tool wear and no force applied to the material.
- Strong localization of the energy input: Reduced carbonization through the use of ultrashort pulse laser sources (USP).
- Highest process quality: High technical cleanliness and minimal delamination effects due to low energy input.
- Freely selectable via diameters: Different hole sizes can be realized in a single program without changing tools.
- Variety of materials: Suitable for IC substrates, FR4, polyimides, Rogers, CCL, ABF, coverlay, PTFE, organic substrates and more.
- Adjustable taper angles: Optimum plating results thanks to individually adjustable taper angles.
- Small hole-to-hole distances: Realizable thanks to the high precision of the systems.
- Smallest landing pads: made possible by the high precision of the drill holes.
- Variable hole diameters: Hole sizes from 10µm to 150µm can be easily achieved.
Our customized solutions
Do you have any questions, need support with your current project or want to get started in the world of laser drilling?
Our experts are here to help and advise you.
Contact us today and benefit from our many years of experience and comprehensive know-how!
Frequently asked questions about laser drilling PCBs
What is laser drilling?
In laser drilling, short laser pulses with a high power density are fired at a workpiece.
The material is removed (ablated) in various ways by the energy of the laser beam, depending on the pulse duration: It is melted, vaporized, or ionized.
The greater the energy of a pulse, the more material is ablated.
The duration of the individual pulses is decisive for the quality of the drill holes. Shorter pulse durations considerably reduce the thermal load on the workpiece.
During ablation, the volume of material in the drill hole increases abruptly, creating high pressure.
This pressure forces the molten material out of the borehole without leaving any residue within a very short time.
What is percussion drilling?
With percussion drilling, the laser beam does not hit the material in a long single pulse, but in several short pulses.
This melts and vaporizes some material each time.
The vaporized material pulls the molten material out of the drill hole.
This process is also suitable for processing extremely hard materials.
What is trepanning?
During trepanning, vias (“holes”) are first drilled using the percussion method.
These are then widened to the desired hole diameter using trepanning.
For this purpose, a rotating movement of the laser beam is generated in relation to the workpiece.
The advantage of this process is the reduced formation of melt layers on the walls of the hole.
This makes the process particularly suitable for the production of delicate workpieces.
What are the advantages of laser drilling compared to conventional methods?
In mechanical drilling, the hole is produced by machining using a drilling tool with a defined cutting edge.
This produces chips that can contaminate or even damage the workpiece.
The diameter and quality of the hole is linked to the diameter of the drilling tool and its wear, meaning that different drilling tools are required for different diameters.
This requires non-value-adding tool changes and considerable tool costs due to the limited service life.
There is also the risk of drill bits breaking during an application and the workpiece being destroyed,
Laser-based drilling saves long set-up times for changing the drilling tool and also eliminates tool wear on the drill heads.
The ablation of the laser process results in a residue-free drill hole and a chip and dust-free machining process.
The process stability of laser machines is uniquely high because our fully calibrated machines enable absolutely stable process conditions over many years, which can also be reproduced directly on new machines.
Accordingly, a process can be qualified in Europe, for example, and transferred directly to production systems at outsourced locations at the touch of a button.
What applications is laser drilling suitable for?
InnoLas Solutions has products and solutions in its portfolio that have the following process capabilities:
Drilling of through holes, drilling of vias (blind holes), removal of cover layer materials.
The high flexibility of our laser drilling systems comes into its own, especially with small series!
Is it worth investing in a laser drilling system?
Yes, especially as the follow-up costs of conventional drilling systems and tools (wear, set-up times, material waste, etc.) are eliminated.
Laser drilling systems are wear-neutral, require fewer personnel hours and increase your added value.
Set-up times A clear advantage in competition and in your internal processes.
The price/performance ratio of a laser drilling system is 10 times better today than it was 10 years ago.
This makes these systems economical even for small and medium-sized companies.
What are the advantages of USP lasers overCO2 lasers?
USP lasers work with pulses in the picosecond range, whereasCO2 lasers work with significantly longer laser pulses.
The heat-affected zone of a picosecond laser is much smaller than that of a nanosecond orCO2 laser.
The reason: the shorter pulse duration and therefore a“colder” ablation.
As a result, no particles of solidified molten material fall back onto the workpiece, or in other words: with USP lasers, the material is vaporized directly and not melted first as with CO2 lasers.
Energy losses in the form of heat are also drastically reduced by direct vaporization, which in turn significantly increases process efficiency.
How small can a laser hole be?
Laser drill holes with an ultrashort pulse laser generally have typical diameters of 20 – 500 µm.
Depending on the requirements and laser drilling process, however, drilling diameters of up to 10 µm can also be achieved with our systems.