Electro Scientific Industries, Inc.

Jeffrey Howerton

Leo Benedict Baldwin

Michael S Nashner

Mehmet Emin Alpay

Robert B Reichenbach

Glenn Simenson

Patrick Leonard

Hisashi Matsumoto

Haibin Zhang

David Barsic

Jeffrey A Albelo

Robert Hainsey

David Childers

Mark Singer

Gregg Hardy

Ling Wen

Wayne Crowther

Weixiong Lu

Steve J Cohen

Michael John Darwin

William Antoni

David James McKeever

Gregg E Hardy

The invention is a method and apparatus for laser marking a stainless steel specimen with commercially desirable marks. The method includes providing a laser processing system having a laser, and laser optics and a controller with pre-determined laser pulse parameters, selecting the pre-determined laser pulse parameters associated with the desired mark, and directing the laser marking system to produce laser pulses having laser pulse parameters associated with the desired marks including temporal pulse widths greater than about 1 and less than about 1000 picoseconds.

Method and apparatus for reliably laser marking articles

A panel with an optically transmissive portion includes a group of holes drilled from one surface to another surface and filled with an optically transmissive material. The group of holes forms a pattern. The holes on a first surface form a smooth and continuous appearance to the naked eye. The holes on the other, second surface are sized so that a light source directed to the second surface illuminates the pattern to be visible to a viewer viewing the first surface. The panel may form a portion of a housing that houses the light source.

Products with a patterned light-transmissive portion

Numerous embodiments of interactive control systems, methods of making the same, and devices incorporating the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a light-resistant material; light-transmissive holes penetrating in a light-transmissive pattern through the light resistant material; and a lens disposed adjacent to the light-transmissive pattern.

Interactive control system, methods of making the same, and devices incorporating the same

The invention is a method and apparatus for creating a color and optical density selectable visible mark on an anodized aluminum specimen. The method includes providing a laser marking system having a laser, laser optics and a controller operatively connected to said laser to control laser pulse parameters and a controller with stored laser pulse parameters, selecting the stored laser pulse parameters associated with the desired color and optical density, directing the laser marking system to produce laser pulses having laser pulse parameters associated with the desired color and optical density including temporal pulse widths greater than about 1 and less than about 1000 picoseconds to impinge upon said anodized aluminum.

A method and apparatus for filling a via with transparent material is presented, including the steps of providing a panel having a via, occluding the via with transparent material in a workable state so that a portion of the occluding material is internal to the via and a portion of the material is external to said via. The external and internal portions are separated so the transparent filler material, when set, forms a smooth and featureless surface. This causes the filled via to have a substantially even and uniform appearance over a wide range of viewing angles when lit.

Method and apparatus for optically transparent via filling

The invention is a method and apparatus for laser marking a stainless steel specimen with commercially desirable marks. The method includes providing a laser processing system having a laser, laser optics and a controller with pre-determined laser pulse parameters, selecting the pre-determined laser pulse parameters associated with the desired mark, and directing the laser marking system to produce laser pulses having laser pulse parameters associated with the desired marks including temporal pulse widths greater than about 1 and less than about 1000 picoseconds.

Method and apparatus for optimally laser marking articles

A process for laser forming a blind via in at least one layer of a circuit substrate having a plurality of capture pads of varying geometry can include, for at least one blind via to be formed in at least one layer of a circuit substrate, evaluating a capture pad geometry value (such as area and/or volume) within a predetermined distance from a drilling location with respect to a blind via geometry value (such as area and/or volume) to be formed at the drilling location. The process can include setting at least one laser operating parameter based on the evaluation in order to obtain a desired capture pad appearance after blind via formation. The process can include imaging a capture pad area defined as an area within a predetermined distance from a blind via drilling location in at least one layer of a circuit substrate, quantifying at least one appearance value for the imaged capture pad area, and determining an acceptability of the imaged capture pad areas based on the quantified appearance value.

Process and system for quality management and analysis of via drilling

A method for laser machining through micro-holes having desired geometric cross-section requirements in a thin, substantially homogenous material.

Method for machining tapered micro holes

An area of reduced thickness is formed in a panel, and a pattern of microscopic holes are formed in the area. The holes are filled with a light transmissive material such as a curable polymer. The thinned area may also be filled with a polymer to reinforce the thinned area and the polymer may be colored to add color to light transmitted through the pattern. The panel can form a portion of a housing surrounding a lighting source that makes the holes visible when lit.

Panel with micro-hole pattern in a structurally thin portion

A method of forming a panel with an optically transmissive portion and resulting products. The method comprises drilling a via through a panel and filling the via with an optically transmissive material. A top surface and/or a bottom surface of the panel at the optically transmissive portion is smooth and continuous to the naked eye. The method can also be used to create a light transmissive section of a housing. A light source directed to one side of the via is seen through the optically transmissive material so as to be visible to a viewer viewing a surface at the second side of the via.

Process for forming panel with an optically transmissive portion and products related thereto

A laser micro-machining system includes a laser source positioned to direct a laser pulse through a scan lens to a work piece mounted on a work surface and a mirror positioned between the scan lens and the work piece and tilted with respect to the work surface to reflect the laser pulse toward the work piece. The mirror can be indexed to a number of positions so that only portions of the mirror are used for a number of processing steps, extending the life of the mirror.

Laser micro-machining system with post-scan lens deflection

A method of forming an isolated electrically conductive contact through a metallic substrate includes creating at least one via through the substrate, where the via includes a first opening in a top surface of the substrate, a second opening in an opposing bottom surface and at least one continuous sidewall extending therebetween. A dielectric sleeve is formed on the at least one sidewall of the via while preserving at least a portion of the through via. An electrically conductive filler is then placed into the via. In the examples disclosed, the filler may be a conductive ink or a conductive epoxy.

Process for forming an isolated electrically conductive contact through a metal package

A method for producing an area of light transmissivity in a generally opaque panel comprises forming an area of reduced thickness in the panel, laser drilling an array of microscopic holes in the area and thereafter filling the holes with a light transmissive material such as a curable polymer. The thinned area may also be filled with a polymer to reinforce the thinned area, and the polymer may be colored to add color to light transmitted through the pattern.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Jeffrey Howerton