Optimizing laser-induced deep etching technique for micromachining of NXT glass

Abstract

Recent advancements in display technology have led to the development and diversification of complex glass materials. Among them, Corning’s Lotus NXT glass offers excellent optical properties, high thermal stability, and dimensional accuracy, which are crucial for display applications. However, these characteristics make it difficult to apply pre-existing machining techniques developed for conventional glass materials directly to NXT glass. In this study, we used the laser-induced deep etching (LIDE) technique to fabricate micro holes in NXT glass. Various laser, chemical, and mechanical parameters were subjected to experimental analysis and optimization to achieve higher etching speed and aspect ratio. In this study, successful etching of Corning’s Lotus NXT glass was achieved by optimizing laser parameters, including a wavelength of 1030 nm, a pulse energy of 45 µJ, a pulse count of 2 × 104, and a repetition rate of 40 kHz, combined with a chemical composition consisting of a 1:5 molar ratio of HF to HCl. This resulted in a high aspect ratio of ∼23:1 and an impressive etching speed of 1200 µm/h.