Material Selection

[TheMotionGuy]

Anyone familiar with a viable material that is CO2 laser friendly (probably available in a range of thicknesses from 0.1mm - 0.7mm)that can stand an operating temp around 150C(300F)? Currently we are using an acrylic substrate but for this application the thermal effects kill it.

note: I am not talking about the thermal effects of cutting it on the laser.. It is when the customer uses the end-product it fails due to warping.

 

[drawoh]

TheMotionGuy,

What is the material supposed to accomplish?

JHG

 

[TheMotionGuy]

It is a substrate that we attach a cleaning material that is used to do in-line cleaning of semiconductor wafers during testing. So it needs to be semi-rigid. If you can imagine a 0.3mm thick piece of acrylic, that's how rigid. Probably a little less than the rigidity of the screen on your touch-screen phone.

 

[btrueblood]

Wood.

 

[KENAT]

Btrue, semiconductor applications tend to be a be sensitive about cleanliness, so wood probably not a great plan.

That said, motion guy, is cleanliness, including out gassing, an issue for your application?

We use a lot of delrin, pomalux and that kind of stuff in our semiconductor metrology equipment but it might be too stiff for this application.

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[btrueblood]

I wouldn't trust delrin at 300F. Also, lasering delrin gives off formaldehyde fumes.

Wood is stable at the temperature indicated, if kiln dried first. Yeah, it would tend to have a lot of extractables if put under vacuum or in the presence of solvents.

I don't think there _is_ a material that will do all of the above.

 

[KENAT]

Funny, I was just searching for Delrin & the likes temperature resistance properties as I didn't know off the top of my head.

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[Compositepro]

Materials with a high CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) and low thermal conductivity (i.e., plastics)will warp when subject to temperature changes. That is why fused quartz is used for a lot of semiconductor processing.

 

[TheMotionGuy]

Cleanliness is an issue. Outgassing not an issue. We have good ventilation and a sealed CO2 laser cutting environment.

I am currently looking into some Polyimides and PEEKs to see if I can have some small thin sheets made without giving them my checkbook.

They have a pretty high Tg (glass transition temp)too and continuous working temps rated around 245C.

 

[btrueblood]

Not sure a CO2 laser will cut PEEK or -imides.

 

[TheMotionGuy]

Me either. But I am going back and forth with a materials supplier. We'll see if him and his team can come up with something.

 

[bvanhiel]

TheMotionGuy,

I can't help you with the suitability of laser cutting, but I have some ideas for the heat. You might be a little close Tg-wise for polycarbonate, but if you can add some glass it might be close enough. My next choices would be Ryton (PPS), Ultem (PEI), and Radel (PPSU).