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Microfluidics has become one of the most intense research fields in MEMS technology. In this paper, the use of a 1064 nm Q-switched solid state laser to fabricate micro-pump cavities in copper is presented. The focusing technique is employed for directly structuring the micro-pumps and mixers. In this case, a laser beam with a focal spot of 50 jtm is scanned over the surface and the substrate material is ablated track by track and layer by layer. Machining results such as surface finishing and dimensional resolution are discussed. The dependence of the ablation depth, ablation rate and surface roughness on the process parameters and on the scan overlap are investigated. The laser micromachined structures are free of cracks and without any deposition of debris on the surface. The assembly and first characterization results of the pumps are reviewed. The capability as well as the potential of laser micromachining are also discussed.

Product miniaturisation and component intricacies require advanced processing technologies to satisfy functionality and quality requirements. Various micro-machining technologies have been under extensive development so as to be able to fill this niche. In particular, the development of MEMS devices utilises machining methods that include silicon fabrication and LIGA technologies. Lasers present an alternative or supplementary tool for micro-fabrication. Present advances in laser system design are bringing about great improvements in beam quality, increase in high peak power, increase in high pulse energy, and shorten pulse width. This enables direct machining of a wide variety of materials with feature sizes down to the order of micrometers.This paper presents some of the recent developments in utilising laser to micro-machine or microfabricate micro-features on devices. Many of these processes are being used in production, or are expected to be commercially feasible.

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