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Micromachines
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Optical and Laser Material Processing, 2nd Edition
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Optical and Laser Material Processing, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "D：Materials and Processing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 3152

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yuankun Lin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Physics, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
2. Department of Electrical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
Interests: nanophotonics; laser holographic fabrication; 2D materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yuzhe Xiao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
Interests: nanophotonics; ultra-fast laser; quantum plasmonics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Products and services based on nanotechnology are becoming increasingly important to our economy, as is the optical and laser processing and manufacturing technology that produces them. Two- and three-dimensional nanofabrication can be addressed using both top-down and bottom-up approaches. Bottom-up approaches have enabled large-scale additive and selective laser manufacturing. Top-down methods (including EUV lithography) have resulted in computer chip manufacturing. Combining top-down and bottom-up approaches can facilitate the integration of different dimensions and scales in optical and laser material processing, including the direct laser writing of 2D-layered materials in a pattern. Thus, this Special Issue aims to showcase research papers and reviews on new developments in optical and laser material processing for micro- and nano-scale manufacturing.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.

Prof. Dr. Yuankun Lin
Dr. Yuzhe Xiao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • material-based micro/nanostructures and devices
  • optical and laser material processing
  • optical- and laser-based nano/micro-fabrication
  • two-dimensional and bulk material processing

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 10123 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Micro-Holes with High Aspect Ratios in Cf/SiC Composites Using Coaxial Waterjet-Assisted Nanosecond Laser Drilling
by Chenhu Yuan, Zenggan Bian, Yue Cao, Yinan Xiao, Bin Wang, Jianting Guo and Liyuan Sheng
Micromachines 2025, 16(7), 811; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16070811 - 14 Jul 2025
Viewed by 193
Abstract
In the present study, the coaxial waterjet-assisted nanosecond laser drilling of micro-holes in Cf/SiC composites, coupled with nanosecond laser drilling in air for fabricating micro-holes with high aspect ratios, were investigated. The surface morphology, reaction products, and micro-hole shapes were thoroughly [...] Read more.
In the present study, the coaxial waterjet-assisted nanosecond laser drilling of micro-holes in Cf/SiC composites, coupled with nanosecond laser drilling in air for fabricating micro-holes with high aspect ratios, were investigated. The surface morphology, reaction products, and micro-hole shapes were thoroughly examined. The results reveal that, for the coaxial waterjet-assisted nanosecond laser drilling of micro-holes in the Cf/SiC composite, the increasing of waterjet velocity enhances the material removal rate and micro-hole depth, but reduces the micro-hole diameter and taper angle. The coaxial waterjet isolates the laser-ablated region and cools down the corresponding region rapidly, leading to the formation of a mixture of SiC, SiO2, and Si on the surface. As the coaxial waterjet velocity increases, the morphology of residual surface products changes from a net-like structure to individual spheres. Coaxial waterjet-assisted nanosecond laser drilling, with a waterjet velocity of 9.61 m/s, achieves micro-holes with a good balance between efficiency and quality. For the fabrication of micro-holes with a high aspect ratio in Cf/SiC composites, micro-holes fabricated by nanosecond laser drilling in air exhibit obvious taper features, which should be ascribed to the combined effects of spattering slag, plasma, and energy dissipation. The application of coaxial waterjet-assisted nanosecond laser drilling on micro-holes fabricated by laser drilling in air effectively expands the hole diameter. The fabricated micro-holes have very small taper angles, with clean wall surfaces and almost no reaction products. This approach, combining nanosecond laser drilling in air followed by coaxial waterjet-assisted nanosecond laser drilling, offers a promising technique for fabricating high-quality micro-holes with high aspect ratios in Cf/SiC composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Laser Material Processing, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 9060 KiB  
Article
Numerical Simulation of Thermal Fields and Microstructure Evolution in SLM of Fe32Cr33Ni29Al3Ti3 Alloy
by Xuyun Peng, Xiaojun Tan, Haibing Xiao, Wei Zhang, Liang Guo, Wei Tan, Jian Huang, Chaojun Ding, Yushan Yang, Jieshun Yang, Haitao Chen and Qingmao Zhang
Micromachines 2025, 16(6), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16060694 - 10 Jun 2025
Viewed by 767
Abstract
Fabricating eutectic high-entropy alloys (EHEAs) via selective laser melting (SLM) presents significant potential for advanced structural applications. This study explores the microstructural evolution of Fe32Cr33Ni29Al3Ti3 EHEAs fabricated by SLM under varying laser powers. Electron [...] Read more.
Fabricating eutectic high-entropy alloys (EHEAs) via selective laser melting (SLM) presents significant potential for advanced structural applications. This study explores the microstructural evolution of Fe32Cr33Ni29Al3Ti3 EHEAs fabricated by SLM under varying laser powers. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis revealed that samples fabricated at 200 W exhibited approximately 70% face-centered-cubic (FCC) and 30% body-centered-cubic (BCC) phases. In comparison, those processed at 160 W showed an increased FCC fraction of 85% with a corresponding reduction in BCC content. Grain size measurements indicated that BCC grains were consistently finer than their FCC counterparts. Thermal simulations demonstrated that higher laser power produced deeper melt pools and broader temperature gradients. By correlating thermal history with phase diagram data, the spatial variation in BCC content was attributed to the differential residence time in the 1350–1100 °C range. This study represents one of the first attempts to quantitatively link local thermal histories with the evolution of dual-phase (FCC + BCC) microstructures in EHEAs during SLM. The findings contribute to the improved understanding and control of phase formation in complex alloy systems, providing valuable guidance for tailoring SLM parameters to optimize the phase composition and microstructure of EHEAs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Laser Material Processing, 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 12485 KiB  
Article
Research and Experimentation on Acoustic Monitoring Technology for Laser Drilling Penetration
by Bowen Lian, Kewen Pan, Liqun Wang, Liwu Shi, Jianhua Yao and Wei Guo
Micromachines 2025, 16(4), 475; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16040475 - 16 Apr 2025
Viewed by 576
Abstract
To prevent back wall damage in cavity workpieces during laser drilling, it is crucial to monitor hole penetration status in real time. This study proposes a laser drilling penetration monitoring method based on acoustic principles. First, the acoustic module parameters of the system [...] Read more.
To prevent back wall damage in cavity workpieces during laser drilling, it is crucial to monitor hole penetration status in real time. This study proposes a laser drilling penetration monitoring method based on acoustic principles. First, the acoustic module parameters of the system were simulated and calibrated using COMSOL Multiphysics (version 6.1) software, resulting in an optimal sound source frequency of 35 kHz and an incident angle of 30° for the acoustic waves. Next, a nickel-based alloy laser drilling acoustic monitoring platform was designed and constructed, and the system’s upper computer control software was developed. Subsequent drilling trials were performed on the validated platform. During the experiments, the threshold for hole penetration signals under the specified experimental parameters was determined, enabling the acquisition of acoustic signals and the identification of hole penetration status. Furthermore, a correlation between the intensity of the acoustic signals and the exit aperture of the drilled holes was established. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using acoustic principles to monitor hole penetration status and measure machining aperture, providing both theoretical and experimental foundations for active laser drilling to prevent back wall damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Laser Material Processing, 2nd Edition)
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26 pages, 21993 KiB  
Article
Improvement of Micro-Hole Processing in SiCf/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composite Using Efficient Two-Step Laser Drilling
by Yue Cao, Bin Wang, Zhehang Li, Jiajia Wang, Yinan Xiao, Qingyang Zeng, Xinfeng Wang, Wenwu Zhang, Qunli Zhang and Liyuan Sheng
Micromachines 2025, 16(4), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16040430 - 2 Apr 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 955
Abstract
SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC), a hard and brittle material, faces significant challenges in efficient and high-quality processing of small-sized shapes. To address these challenges, the nanosecond laser was used to process micro-holes in the SiCf/SiC CMC using a [...] Read more.
SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC), a hard and brittle material, faces significant challenges in efficient and high-quality processing of small-sized shapes. To address these challenges, the nanosecond laser was used to process micro-holes in the SiCf/SiC CMC using a two-step drilling method, including laser pre-drilling in air and laser final-drilling with a water jet. The results of the single-parameter variation and optimized orthogonal experiments reveal that the optimal parameters for laser pre-drilling in air to process micro-holes are as follows: 1000 processing cycles, 0.7 mJ single-pulse energy, −4 mm defocus, 15 kHz pulse-repetition frequency, and 85% overlap rate. With these settings, a micro-hole with an entrance diameter of 343 μm and a taper angle of 1.19° can be processed in 100 s, demonstrating high processing efficiency. However, the entrance region exhibits spattering slags with oxidation, while the sidewall is covered by the recast layer with a wrinkled morphology and attached oxides. These effects are primarily attributed to the presence of oxygen, which enhances processing efficiency but promotes oxidation. For the laser final-drilling with a water jet, the balanced parameters for micro-hole processing are as follows: 2000 processing cycles, 0.6 mJ single-pulse energy, −4 mm defocus, 10 kHz pulse-repetition frequency, 85% overlap rate, and a 4.03 m/s water jet velocity. Using these parameters, the pre-drilled micro-hole can be finally processed in 96 s, yielding an entrance diameter of 423 μm and a taper angle of 0.36°. Due to the effective elimination of spattering slags and oxides by the water jet, the final micro-hole exhibits a clean sidewall with microgrooves, indicating high-quality micro-hole processing. The sidewall morphology could be ascribed to the different physical properties of SiC fiber and matrix, with steam explosion and cavitation erosion. This two-step laser drilling may provide new insights into the high-quality and efficient processing of SiCf/SiC CMC with small-sized holes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Laser Material Processing, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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19 pages, 4423 KiB  
Review
Laser Active Optical Systems (LAOSs) for Material Processing
by Vladimir Chvykov
Micromachines 2025, 16(7), 792; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16070792 - 2 Jul 2025
Viewed by 405
Abstract
The output energy of Laser Active Optical Systems (LAOSs), in which image brightness is amplified within the laser-active medium, is always higher than the input energy. This contrasts with conventional optical systems (OSs). As a result, a LAOS enables the creation of laser [...] Read more.
The output energy of Laser Active Optical Systems (LAOSs), in which image brightness is amplified within the laser-active medium, is always higher than the input energy. This contrasts with conventional optical systems (OSs). As a result, a LAOS enables the creation of laser beams with tailored energy distribution across the aperture, making them ideal for material processing applications. This concept was first successfully implemented using metal vapor lasers as the gain medium. In these systems, material processing was achieved by using a laser beam that either carried the required energy profile or the image of the object itself. Later, other laser media were utilized for LAOSs, including barium vapor, strontium vapor, excimer XeCl lasers, and solid-state media. Additionally, during the development of these systems, several modifications were introduced. For example, Space-Time Light Modulators (STLMs) and CCD cameras were incorporated, along with the use of multipass amplifiers, disk-shaped or thin-disk (TD) solid-state laser amplifiers, and other advancements. These techniques have significantly expanded the range of power, energy, pulse durations, and operating wavelengths. Currently, TD laser amplifiers and STLMs based on Digital Light Processor (DLP) technology or Digital Micromirror Devices (DMDs) enhance the potential to develop LAOS devices for Subtractive and Additive Technologies (ST, AT), applicable in both macromachining (cutting, welding, drilling) and micro-nano processing. This review presents comparable characteristics and requirements for these various LAOS applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Laser Material Processing, 2nd Edition)
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