Laser machining technology has advanced significantly in recent years and has been applied
in various different fields for industrial use due to its convenience and the great variety of
applicable materials. In laser micromachining represented by drilling, high-quality and
high-precision machining is possible by utilizing a short-pulse laser. However, a higher level of
precision is desired. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machine Tool Co., Ltd. has developed an optical
system utilizing a Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) laser in which further improvement is expected in the
machining resolution, and has successfully identified the machining characteristics of individual
materials. Furthermore, a drilling test was conducted with a laser micromachining unit equipped
with a newly-developed optical system, which, as a result, achieved ultrafine drilling to make a
hole of a minimum of 10μm in diameter and an aspect ratio of 10.
