LASER TECH BRIEFS

M ARKIN G FUNDA M ENTALS

1 2 3 Characteristics of Wavelengths Material Properties Marking Types

A comprehensive study of lasers

From sensors and measuring devices to large-scale processing machines, lasers are integrated and used in a wide variety of ways. Depending on the wavelength and output, there are many types of lasers, each having their own special properties . In order to use these lasers properly it is important to know about laser technology . Laser Tech Briefs is a series of white paper articles designed to answer the fundamental questions about lasers and laser technology.

LASER TECH BRIEFS

Characteristics of Wavelngths
Types of Lasers
Laser
Can be broadly divided into 3 types: Solid-state, Gas, and Liquid
*The optimal laser will differ depending on the desired processing application.

Solid-state Nd:YAG Fundamental wavelength (1064 nm) Second-harmonic (532 nm) (Green laser) Third-harmonic (355 nm) (UV laser) Nd: YVO4 (1064 nm)
YAG (Yttrium Aluminium Garnet) Universal marking applications Used for fine marking and processing, silicone wafers, plastics and reflective metals etc Used for micro-processing, LCD repair and also plastic and reflective metal marking

YVO4 (Yttrium Vanadate) Used in applications needing high peak power and extremely stable beam power

Yb: Fibre (1090 nm)

Yb (Ytterbium) High average power and excellent cooling efficiency. Good for marking on metals and plastics

LD: (650 to 905 nm) Gas CO2 (10.6 m) He-Ne (630 nm) (red) is common Excimer (193 nm)

Semiconductor lasers (GaAs, GaAIAs, GaInAs)

Widely used for marking labels, etching plastics and resins as well as processing and cutting Most commonly found in measurement devices. Uses a combination of inert gas and hydrogen gas to create a shorter UV wavelength. Most commonly used for optometry to vaporise the lens of human eyes.

Argon (488 to 514 nm) Liquid Dye (330 to 1300 nm)

Used primarily in scientific applications and biomedical related research.

Used more widely in scientific applications. Dye are energised by laser light to produce florescent light.

Characteristics for each wavelength

Wavelength: 10600 nm
Invisible spectrum (UV) Ultraviolet
(nm) 300 380 400 500 532

Visible spectrum

Invisible spectrum (IR) Infrared

600

700

780 800

1064 1090

10600

CO2 lasers have a wavelength that is 10 times longer than a YAG,YVO4 or Fibre laser. This is the longest wavelength among widely used industrial lasers. CO2 lasers, as the name implies generates the laser medium through stimulation of CO 2 gas.

Typical characteristics of 10600 nm wavelength range lasers

Not absorbed well by metals Melting and burning occur due to the long wavelength and transfer of heat. Processing transparent objects such as glass and PET are possible. Contrast printing and discolouration are generally not possible with a CO 2 laser.

LASER TECH BRIEFS

Wavelength: 1064 nm
Invisible spectrum (UV) Ultraviolet
(nm) 300 380 400 500 532

Visible spectrum

Invisible spectrum (IR) Infrared

600

700

780 800

1064 1090

10600

Peak power

100 80 60 40 20 0 4ns

The beam characteristic varies with oscillation methods even for the same wavelength. Generally, higher peak power and shorter pulse width produce stronger energies instantaneously, reducing heat damage and burning.

The IR wavelength which is an abbreviation for Infrared Ray is the most versatile wavelength of light for laser processing. As the name implies, IR is the spectrums outside of red, which are invisible to human eyes (i.e. longer than 780 nm).

Typical characteristics of 1064 nm wavelength range lasers

A wide range of processing applications from resins to metals Cannot process transparent objects like glass as the laser passes through such objects. Creates contrast on resins easily.

Laser response range value Pulse width

30ns

Wavelength: 532 nm
Invisible spectrum (UV) Ultraviolet
(nm) 300 380 400 500 532

Visible spectrum

Invisible spectrum (IR) Infrared

600

700

780 800

1064 1090

10600

532 nm green laser Absorption rate [%R]

1064 nm fundamental wavelength

Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) uses a wavelength that is half of the typical 1064 nm wavelength. 532 nm falls into the visible spectrum and is green in colour. This wavelength is produced by transmitting a 1064 nm wavelength through a nonlinear crystal that reduces the wavelength by half. A YVO4 medium is normally used because the characteristics of the beam are well suited for intricate processing.

Typical characteristics of 532 nm wavelength range lasers

High absorption rates in materials that do not react well with typical IR wavelengths and those that reflect IR light such as gold and copper. Intricate processing is possible because of a smaller beam spot than IR lasers. Transparent objects are typically not able to be processed. High peak power without large amounts of heat transfer is ideal for micro machining and intricate designs.

Wavelength [nm]
Cu (Copper) Fe (Iron) Au (Gold) Al (Aluminium) Ni (Nickel)

Laser absorption rate for metals

Wavelength: 355 nm
Invisible spectrum (UV) Ultraviolet Visible spectrum Invisible spectrum (IR) Infrared

300

355

380 400

500

532

600

700

780 800

1064 1090

10600

Third Harmonic Generation (THG) has a wavelength that is one third of a typical 1064 nm wavelength and falls into the ultraviolet (UV) range of light. A YVO4 or YAG laser is used to produce the fundamental wavelength and then is transferred through a nonlinear crystal to reduce the wavelength to 532nm and then a second nonlinear crystal to reduce the wavelength to 355 nm.

Typical characteristics of 355 nm wavelength range

UV light has extremely high absorption rates in most materials and does not apply excessive amounts of heat. A very small beam spot makes very fine processing possible. Its high absorption rate also affects the optical crystal, more consumable costs than other wavelengths.

Optical crystal Solid-state YAG laser 1064 nm 532 nm

Optical crystal

355 nm

LASER TECH BRIEFS

Material Properties
Reflection, Absorption, and Transmission
Reflection Light

When light is received, all objects experience reflection, absorption, and transmission. This relationship is a very important element for laser marking and laser processing. The ratio of reflection, absorption, and transmission of the received light, form the following relationship.

Object Absorption

Reflectivity + absorption rate + transmittance = 1

Without increasing the temperature of the object, processing becomes more difficult as reflection and transmission increases. Processing efficiency becomes better as absorption increases.

Transmission

Colour-based Influences
Black and White [Material-based light reflectivity (reference examples)]
Material White cloth White paint Black paint Black cloth Reflectivity lower limit (%) 50 50 5 2 Reflectivity upper limit (%) 70 70 10 3 Light and heat are more easily absorbed as the material becomes black and its luster decreases, making it easier to perform marking and processing. Basically, reflectivity increases as the colour draws closer to white and luster increases. Conversely, reflectivity decreases as an object looses luster and becomes black, a colour that absorbs light.

Intensity-based Influences [Spectral reflectivity curve (Spectral curve)]

100 100 100

Reflectivity (%)

Reflectivity (%)

50

50

Reflectivity (%)

50

The basic logic behind light reflectivity based on intensity is that the deeper the colour is the easier marking and processing will be. Conversely, the lighter the colour, the harder it will be. The curved lines in the white, gray, and black graph are nearly flat in shape. This signifies that the light reflects uniformly regardless of wavelength. However, the size of reflectivity varies, and in the case of white, most of the light is reflected.

0 400 500 600 700

0 400 500 600 700

0 400 500 600 700

Wavelength (nm)

Wavelength (nm)

Wavelength (nm)

White

Gray

Black

Reference [Why are apples red?]

100 100 100

Reflectivity (%)

Reflectivity (%)

50

50

Reflectivity (%)

50

Objects reflect all wavelengths of light in various proportions and the colours can be seen are determined by the wavelength that is reflected. For example, as seen in the diagram on the left, a red object reflects a lot of long-wavelength light.

0 400 500 600 700

0 400 500 600 700

0 400 500 600 700

Wavelength (nm)

Wavelength (nm)

Wavelength (nm)

Blue

Green
100

Yellow
The diagram on the left shows the wavelength distribution for redreflecting light. Various wavelengths of light (colours) are emitted from the sun. All 7 of the colours that can be recognised by the human eye hit the apple but out of those colours, only red is reflected, and the other light is absorbed. The reflected red light then enters the human eye and is sensed as red.

Reflectivity (%)

50

0 400

500

600

700

Wavelength (nm)

LASER TECH BRIEFS

Marking Types
Types of Marking
The principles of marking can be broadly divided into 3 items.

Printed surface stripping

Laser

II

Surface Etching
Laser

III

Colouration
Laser

Base material
Paint or printing on the surface of the target is stripped away to show contrast between the surface and the colour of the base material.

Base material
The surface layer of the target is etched into.

Base material
The target is colourised to show contrast.

How Resin Colouration Works

The principles of colouration can be broadly divided into 4 items. I II Foaming Concentration (using additives) III IV Carbonisation Chemical changes

Foaming
The effect of heat from the irradiation of a laser beam generates gas bubbles within the base material. The air bubbles that have been gasified and evaporated become trapped in the surface layer of the base material, producing white bulges. With base materials of deep colour, this method particularly produces a light base material colour with great legibility.
Air bubbles

Base material

II

Concentration (using additives)

When laser energy is absorbed by additives, the effect of this heat increases the molecular density of the additives and through concentration, changes the colour to dark contrast. Additives are generally called colour formers but can be thought of as pigments that have a high laser-light absorption rate.
Additives

III

Carbonization
Carbonization

When even higher energy is continuously irradiated, the absorption rate will rise due to additives and the polymers of the raw materials surrounding the additives will carbonise and turn black. Areas that consist of the base material only will not be carbonised.

Additives

IV

Chemical changes
The components of the pigments in the base material invariably contain metal ions. Laser irradiation causes the crystalline structure of these ions to change, or changes the amount of hydration in the crystal. As a result the composition of these components chemically change, generating a phenomenon in which colouration occurs due to increases in pigment intensity.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LASER MARKERS, CONTACT YOUR NEAREST KEYENCE SALES OFFICE

30 W High-Power Fibre Laser Marker MD-F3000 Series Wavelength: 1090 nm

3-Axis YVO4 laser marker MD-V9900A Series Wavelength: 1064 nm

3-Axis CO2 Laser Marker ML-Z9500 Series Wavelength: 10600 nm

Easily setup and align marking on 3D targets using KEYENCEs Marking Builder software.
Cylinder
Marking using conventional technology With a standard 2 dimensional laser marker, 3D shapes cannot be compensated for. 3-axis marking 3-axis control produces a perfect mark, even on curved surfaces, allowing for precise yet flexible marking and processing.

Cone

Conventional Technology

MD-V9900A

Conventional Technology

MD-V9900A

More detailed information is available from the Laser Marker Professional Site

http://www.marking-central.com

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The information in this publication is based on KEYENCEs internal research/evaluation at the time of release and is subject to change without notice. Copyright (c) 2011 KEYENCE CORPORATION. All rights reserved. MasteringLaser-WW-EN0802-E 1032-1 600983 Printed in Japan
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