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Material formulation, structuring and modification are key to increasing the unit volume complexity and density of next generation electronic packaging products. Laser processing is finding an increasing number of applications in the fabrication of these advanced microelectronic devices. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of new laser‐processing capabilities involving the synthesis and optimization of materials for tunable device applications.

The paper focuses on the application of laser processing to two specific material areas, namely thin films and nanocomposite films. The examples include BaTiO₃‐based thin films and BaTiO₃ polymer‐based nanocomposites.

A variety of new regular and random 3D surface patterns are highlighted. A frequency‐tripled Nd:YAG laser operating at a wavelength of 355 nm is used for the micromachining study. The micromachining is used to make various patterned surface morphologies. Depending on the laser fluence used, one can form a “wavy,” random 3D structure, or an array of regular 3D patterns. Furthermore, the laser was used to generate free‐standing nano and micro particles from thin film surfaces. In the case of BaTiO₃ polymer‐based nanocomposites, micromachining is used to generate arrays of variable‐thickness capacitors. The resultant thickness of the capacitors depends on the number of laser pulses applied. Micromachining is also used to make long, deep, multiple channels in capacitance layers. When these channels are filled with metal, the spacings between two metallized channels acted as individual vertical capacitors, and parallel connection eventually produce vertical multilayer capacitors. For a given volume of capacitor material, theoretical capacitance calculations are made for variable channel widths and spacings. For comparison, calculations are also made for a “normal” capacitor, that is, a horizontal capacitor having a single pair of electrodes.

This technique can be used to prepare capacitors of various thicknesses from the same capacitance layer, and ultimately can produce variable capacitance density, or a library of capacitors. The process is also capable of making vertical 3D multilayer embedded capacitors from a single capacitance layer. The capacitance benefit of the vertical multilayer capacitors is more pronounced for thicker capacitance layers. The application of a laser processing approach can greatly enhance the utility and optimization of new materials and the devices formed from them.

Laser micromaching technology is developed to fabricate several new structures. It is possible to synthesize nano and micro particles from thin film surfaces. Laser micromachining can produce a variety of random, as well as regular, 3D patterns. As the demand grows for complex multifunctional embedded components for advanced organic packaging, laser micromachining will continue to provide unique opportunities.

The purpose of this study is to develop a novel comprehensive three-dimensional computational model to predict the transient thermal behavior and residual stresses resulting from the layer-by-layer deposition in the direct metal laser sintering process.

In the proposed model, time integration is performed with an implicit scheme. The equations for heat transfer are discretized by a finite volume method with thermophysical properties of the metal powder and an updated convection coefficient at each time step. The model includes convective and radiative boundary conditions for the exposed surfaces of the part and constant temperatures for the bottom surface on the build plate. The laser source is modeled as a moving radiative heat flux along the scanning pattern, while the thermal gradients are used to calculate directional and von Mises residual thermal stresses by using a quasi-steady state assumption.

In this study, four different scanning patterns are analyzed, and the transient temperature and residual thermal stress fields are evaluated from these patterns. It is found that the highest stresses occur where the laser last leaves off on its scanning pattern for each layer.

The proposed model is designed to capture the layer-by-layer deposition for a three-dimensional geometry while considering the effect of the instantaneous melting of the powder, melt pool, dynamic calculation of thermophysical properties, ease of parametrization of various process parameters and the vectorization of the code for computational efficiency. This versatile model can be used for process parameter optimization of other laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing techniques. Furthermore, the proposed approach can be used for analyzing different scanning patterns.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of laser treatment on disperse dye-uptake and fastness values of polyester fabrics. Furthermore, it was aimed to evaluate colors directly over the photos of fabric samples instead of color measuring with spectrophotometer which is thought to be useful in terms of online digital color assessment.

In this study, 100% polyester (150 denier) single jersey knitted fabrics (weight: 145 g/m2, course density: 15 loops/cm, wale density: 24 loops/cm) were used in the trials. The effect of laser treatments before and after dyeing on color was investigated. Laser treatments were applied to fabrics at different resolutions (20, 25 and 30 dpi) and pixel times (60, 80 and 100 µs) before dyeing. The power of the laser beam was 210 W and the wavelength was 10.6 µm. In order to determine the effect of laser treatment on polyester; FTIR analysis, SEM-EDX analysis and bursting strength tests were applied to untreated and treated fabric samples.

It was found that treatments with laser have a significant effect on disperse dye-uptake of polyester fibers, and for this reason laser-treated fabrics were dyed in darker shade. Furthermore, it was determined that the samples treated at 30 dpi started to melt and the fabric was damaged considerably, but the fabrics treated at 20 and 25 dpi were not affected at all. Another result obtained regarding the use of laser technology in polyester fabrics is that if some areas of fabrics are not treated with laser and some other areas are treated with laser at 20 dpi 60 µs and 25 dpi 60 µs, it will be possible to obtain patterns containing three different shades of the same color on the fabric.

When the literature is examined, it is seen that there are various studies on the dyeability and patterning of polyester fabrics with disperse dyes by laser technology. As it is known, today color measurement is done digitally using a spectrophotometer. However, when we look at a photograph on computer screens, the colors we see are defined by RGB (red-green-blue) values, while in the spectrophotometer they are defined by L*a*b* (L*: lightness-darkness, a*: redness-greenness, b*: yellowness-blueness) values. Especially when it is desired to produce various design products by creating patterns with laser technology, it would be more useful to show the color directly to the customer on the computer screen and to be able to speak over the same values on the color. For this reason, in this study, the color measurement of the fabric samples was not made with a spectrophotometer, instead, the RGB values obtained from the photographs of the samples were converted into L*a*b* values with MATLAB and interpreted, that is, a digital color evaluation was made on the photographs. Therefore, it is believed that this study will contribute to the literature.

The paper aims to investigate the possibilities to control friction in lubricated systems by surface patterning, making use of a multi-scale approach. Surface patterns inside the tribological contact zone tend to directly reduce friction, whereas surface patterns located in the close proximity of the contact area can improve the tribological performance by avoiding lubricant starvation and migration. Finally, optimized surface patterns were identified by preliminary laboratory tests and transferred to a journal bearing, thus testing them under more realistic conditions.

Surface patterns on a large scale (depth > 10 µm) were fabricated by micro- and roller-coining, whereas surface patterns on a small scale (depth < 2 µm) were produced by direct laser interference patterning. The combination of both techniques resulted in multi-scale surface patterns. Tribologically beneficial surface patterns (verified in ball-on-disk laboratory tests) were transferred onto a journal bearing’s shaft and tested on a special test-rig. To characterize the lubricant spreading behavior, a new test-rig was designed, which allowed for the study of the lubricant’s motion on patterned surfaces under the influence of a precisely controlled temperature gradient.

All tested patterns accounted for a pronounced friction reduction and/or an increase in oil film lifetime. The results from the preliminary laboratory tests matched well, with results from the journal bearing test-rig, both tests showing a maximum friction reduction by a factor of 3-4. Numerical investigations, as well as experiments, have shown the possibility to actively guide lubricant over patterned surfaces. Smaller periodicities, as well as greater structural depths and widths, led to a more pronounced anisotropic spreading and/or greater spreading velocities. Multi-scale surfaces demonstrated the strongest effects regarding the lubricant’s spreading behavior.

Friction, as well as lubricant migration, can be successfully controlled by using micro-coined, laser-patterned and/or multi-scale surfaces. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study demonstrates for the first time the unique possibility to transfer results obtained in laboratory tests to a real machine component.

This study aims to introduce a strategy that permits well-defined contact areas in forming tools for improving both wear and friction properties by a selective laser treatment of a hydrogen-free diamond-like carbon layer (DLC), for substituting lubrication in forming processes. The need of lubricant substitution in forming processes is given because, besides the positive technological aspects, lubrication leads to numerous negative economic and ecological effects such as lubricant appliance and removal costs as well as its disposal.

Hydrogen-free DLCs with an sp³-ratio of 60-70 per cent are deposited on steel surfaces and subsequently micro-structured using direct laser interference patterning (DLIP). To find the optimal structure parameters for reducing friction and wear, line-like and cross-like patterns with three different structure sizes were fabricated onto the DLC layer. Tribological measurements are performed with a ball-on-disk tribometer on the differently DLIP-structured surfaces and compared to polished steel and unstructured DLC reference surfaces.

A reduction of the coefficient of friction, from 0.18 to 0.11, is observed for the laser-structured DLC surfaces, reaching values comparable to lubricated and polished steel surfaces, with a friction coefficient of 0.10.

Using DLIP, it was possible to show how this method can reduce friction on DLC-coated specimens. The observed characteristics are relevant to improve the tribological performance of forming processes, without usage of lubrication.

Passive conducting elements are the important parts of textronic systems. This paper aims to study a possibility of creating well-conducting and durable elements in textile materials by combining two technologies – physical vapour deposition (PVD) and laser patterning.

Thin conducting metallic layers on common fabrics do not provide satisfactory resistance to bending and stretching; therefore, selected textile composite materials have been proposed as a substrate. The conducting elements were produced in two stage process – deposition of thin metallic layer on textile composite and creating conducting elements by laser patterning. Laser ablation process was optimized using modelling in Comsol Multiphysics package. Properties of conducting structures were investigated experimentally and by modelling.

This paper confirms the correctness of the choice of the textile composite as a substrate for conducting elements. The results have shown that combining PVD deposition of thin metallic layer and controlled laser ablation allow creating passive elements such as resistors, inductive coils and heaters. Computer simulations conducted in the Comsol Multihysics environment enabled to determine the temperature distribution around the heaters and to describe the dynamics of its changes. The obtained results allow to shorten time of the optimization process of structures with different geometry and assumed temperature distribution.

The novelty of this research can be summarized as following: choosing of textile composites as substrates for conductive elements instead of textiles used so far in textronics; creating conductive structures on textile composites using combined technologies, PVD and laser patterning, for the first time; modelling of laser ablation process of thin metallic layer; and optimization of properties of conducting elements by computer modelling.

Low temperature co‐fired ceramics (LTCC) material is introduced as an excellent alternative to silicon, glass, or plastic materials for the fabrication of miniaturised analytical devices, though it is most widely used in the automotive and microwave industries. The paper aims to study the laser ablation of LTCC material.

This kind of green tape material is mechanised by excimer laser (KrF, 248 nm) and UV laser (Nd: YAG, 355 nm), and for the first time by infra‐red laser (1,090 nm). The optical photos and the scanning electronic microscope (SEM) photos of the LTCC ablated by different kinds of laser sources are given in this paper.

When using the UV laser, the tapered structure can be easily seen from the SEM photo. However, a kind of clear and perfect ablation of LTCC can be seen for the first time by the 1,090 nm infra‐red laser ablation.

The laser ablation of LTCC by optical fibre sources is discussed.

Techniques of extrude and cure additive manufacturing for thermally cured, high viscosity and medical-grade silicone are investigated by using a small ram extruder and a near-infrared (IR) laser. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the process parameter effects on the stiffness of the final products.

Process parameter effects on axial stiffness values and durometer are explored. Parameters such as extrusion layer height, laser speed, laser current, laser raster spacing and multiple laser passes were investigated and compared to traditional cast and cure methods. Dimensional changes were also recorded and compared.

Tensile and durometer tests show that certain curing parameters give tensile stress and durometers within 10 per cent of bulk material specifications at 200 per cent strain. Parameters that had the highest impact on tensile stress at 200 per cent strain were layer height (0.73 per cent) followed by laser power (0.69 per cent), and then laser raster spacing (0.45 per cent). Parameters that had the highest impact on durometer were laser power (1.00 per cent), followed by layer height, (0.34 per cent) and then laser raster speed (0.32 per cent). Three-dimensional printed samples had about 11.2 per cent more shrinkage than the bulk cast samples in the longest dimension.

This paper is one of the first that demonstrates near IR laser curing parameter effects on three-dimensional printed, commercial off-the-shelf, medical-grade and viscous silicone. The ability to cure very viscous thermosets locally enables interesting technologies such as wire encapsulation, high voltage actuators and drug delivery devices.

This paper aims to present the development and experimental study of a fully automated system using a novel laser additive manufacturing technology called laser foil printing (LFP), to fabricate metal parts layer by layer. The mechanical properties of parts fabricated with this novel system are compared with those of comparable methodologies to emphasize the suitability of this process.

Test specimens and parts with different geometries were fabricated from 304L stainless steel foil using an automated LFP system. The dimensions of the fabricated parts were measured, and the mechanical properties of the test specimens were characterized in terms of mechanical strength and elongation.

The properties of parts fabricated with the automated LFP system were compared with those of parts fabricated with the powder bed fusion additive manufacturing methods. The mechanical strength is higher than those of parts fabricated by the laser powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition technologies.

To the best knowledge of authors, this is the first time a fully automated LFP system has been developed and the properties of its fabricated parts were compared with other additive manufacturing methods for evaluation.

This paper seeks to review the industrial applications of state‐of‐the‐art additive manufacturing (AM) techniques in metal casting technology. An extensive survey of concepts, techniques, approaches and suitability of various commercialised rapid casting (RC) solutions with traditional casting methods is presented.

The tooling required for producing metal casting such as fabrication of patterns, cores and moulds with RC directly by using different approaches are presented and evaluated. Relevant case studies and examples explaining the suitability and problems of using RC solutions by various manufacturers and researchers are also presented.

Latest research to optimize the current RC solutions, and new inventions in processing techniques and materials in RC performed by researchers worldwide are also discussed. The discussion regarding the benefits of RC solutions to foundrymen, and challenges to produce accurate and cost‐effective RC amongst AM manufacturers concludes this paper.

The research related to this survey is limited to the applicability of RC solutions to sand casting and investment casting processes. There is practically no implication in industrial application of RC technology.

This review presents the information regarding potential AM application – RC, which facilitates the fabrication of patterns, cores and moulds directly using the computer‐aided design data. The information available in this paper serves the purpose of researchers and academicians to explore the new options in the field of RC and especially users, manufacturers and service industries to produce casting in relatively much shorter time and at low cost and even to cast complex design components which otherwise was impossible by using traditional casting processes and CNC technology.