Ultra-high-precision fused silica micro-hole machining via spherical aberration-assisted filamentation and laser-induced deep etching

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel laser-based technique combining spherical aberration-assisted filamentation with Laser-Induced Deep Etching to achieve ultra-high-precision micro-holes in fused silica, overcoming traditional machining challenges.

Contribution

It presents a cost-effective optical method that significantly improves precision, repeatability, and surface quality in micro-hole fabrication in glass materials.

Findings

Micro-holes as small as 10 μm were fabricated with minimal taper.

Sidewall roughness was reduced to nanoscale levels.

High repeatability with only 1% variation across trials.

Abstract

Glass materials play an increasingly important role in advanced technologies due to their superior physical properties. However, precise machining of glass remains a major challenge because of its brittleness and sensitivity to thermal and mechanical stresses. In this study, we present a novel approach that combines spherical-aberration-assisted filamentation with Laser-Induced Deep Etching (LIDE) to achieve unprecedented high-precision micro-hole machining in fused silica substrates. By deliberately introducing spherical aberration into an intense femtosecond laser beam, thin, uniformly elongated, and stable filaments are generated, which effectively suppress unwanted plasma formation and thermal deformation typical of standard filamentation. Using this method, we fabricated micro-holes with diameters as small as 10 $\mu$m across various sizes, maintaining an almost zero taper even in 1 mm-thick samples. The sidewalls exhibited nanoscale smoothness (Ra = 38.1 nm, RMS = 53.9 nm), and the hole area demonstrated excellent repeatability with only \sim 1.0\% variation across multiple trials. This simple optical configuration drastically reduces cost compared with existing approaches that rely on specialized components, while moderately satisfying critical requirements for geometrical versatility, minimal damage, precision, and repeatability. This work represents a significant step forward in precision glass machining and lays a foundation for future microstructured electronic, optical, and microfluidic devices.