Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Micromachines Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Related Special Issue
Published Papers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 13787

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Thomas C. Hutchens

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Physics and Optical Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
Interests: high-energy lasers; HEL; laser-induced damage threshold; LIDT; laser therapeutics; opto-mechanical design; reactive ion etching
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which seeks research and review articles on laser micro/nanofabrication techniques. These include but are not limited to (1) new laser-based approaches to fabricate micro/nanostructures, (2) subtractive methods, precision laser ablation and cutting, (3) additive methods and laser-induced deposition, (4) laser bonding, welding, and the formation of components; (5) novel software, CAD, and nanometer precision hardware for direct laser writing, and (6) potential research and industrial applications in optical, electronic, and biological fields. Laser micro/nanofabrication is rapidly becoming a preferred manufacturing method due to its inherent high precision, mask-less nature, and rapid processing speed. This Special Issue aims to feature the latest developments in various applications of laser micromachining.

Dr. Thomas C. Hutchens
Guest Editor

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

laser micro/nanofabrication/machining
direct laser writing
subtractive/additive processing
surface texturing
optical surface modification
ultrafast/femtosecond lasers

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication in Micromachines (20 articles)

Published Papers (10 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 3563 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Process Optimization on Trepanning Drilling in Titanium Alloy Using a Picosecond Laser via an Orthogonal Experiment

by Liang Wang, Yefei Rong, Long Xu, Changjian Wu and Kaibo Xia

Micromachines 2025, 16(8), 846; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16080846 - 24 Jul 2025

Abstract

To optimize the laser drilling process and reduce the processing time, this study investigates picosecond laser trepan drilling on the titanium alloy TC4, analyzing the effects of laser parameters on micro-hole diameter, taper, and roundness. Four independent variables were selected: laser power, defocusing distance, scanning speed, and the number of scans. An L₂₅ (5⁶) orthogonal array was employed for experimental design. The mean response and range analyses evaluated parameter impacts on micro-hole quality, revealing the influence mechanisms of these variables at different levels. The results indicate the following: (1) the scanning speed and laser power significantly affect entrance and exit micro-hole diameters; (2) the defocusing distance substantially influences micro-hole taper; (3) the laser power most critically impacts inlet roundness; (4) the defocusing distance, scanning speed, and laser power directly correlate with outlet roundness; (5) the number of scans exhibits weaker relationships with inlet/outlet diameters, taper, and roundness. A comprehensive balance method applied to orthogonal test results for process optimization yielded the following optimal parameters: 90% laser power (30 W total), −0.2 mm defocus, a 27 mm/s scanning speed, and 15 scans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 3480 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Laser Micromachining for the Nucleation Control of Nickel Microtextures for IR Emission

by Tatsuhiko Aizawa, Hiroki Nakata and Takeshi Nasu

Micromachines 2025, 16(6), 696; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16060696 - 11 Jun 2025

Viewed by 656

Abstract

Femtosecond laser micromachining was utilized to build up a micro-through-hole array into a sacrificial film, which was coated onto a copper specimen. This micro-through hole was shaped in the paraboloidal profile, with its micro-dimple on the interface between the copper substrate and the film. This profile was simply in correspondence with the laser energy profile. The array was used as a nucleation and growth site for nickel cluster deposition during wet plating. The micro-pillared unit cells nucleated at the micro-dimple and grew on the inside of the micro-through hole. After removing the sacrificial film, cleansing, and polishing, the nickel micro-pillar array was obtained, standing on the copper substrate. These unit cells and their alignments were measured through scanning electron microscopy and laser microscopy. Thermographic microscopy with FT-IR was utilized to measure the IR emittance as a function of wavelength. The focused areas were varied by controlling the aperture to analyze the effects of arrayed microtextures on the IR emittance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3744 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Water-Based and Underwater Assistance Methods on the Hole Quality of Silicon Nitride Ceramics Using a Picosecond Laser

by Jie Zhang, Liang Wang, Yongchao Shi, Song Yao and Kaibo Xia

Micromachines 2025, 16(6), 651; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16060651 - 29 May 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 489

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of water-based and underwater assistance methods on the quality of picosecond laser-drilled microholes in silicon nitride ceramics, analyzing the influence of laser power variations in air and aqueous environments on entrance/exit diameters, taper angles, internal wall morphology, surface roughness, and oxygen content. Water-based assistance involved submerging the workpiece’s lower surface while keeping the upper surface in the air, whereas underwater processing involved fully immersing the specimen. The experimental results demonstrated that both aqueous environments effectively improved microhole quality compared to air processing. The water-assisted methods significantly enhanced the entrance/exit morphology by reducing ablation traces and slag deposits. The aqueous medium increased the entrance/exit diameters while decreasing the taper angles and effectively removing debris, thereby reducing internal wall roughness. Underwater processing achieved lower roughness at the hole entrances and middle sections compared to water-based assistance. Both water-assisted methods produced superior internal wall morphology to air processing, with comparable performance. These findings provide valuable references for optimizing water-assisted picosecond laser drilling processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 13945 KiB

Open AccessArticle

S-Bend and Y Waveguide Architectures in Germanate Glasses Irradiated by Femtosecond Laser

by Thiago Vecchi Fernandes, Camila Dias da Silva Bordon, Niklaus Ursus Wetter, Wagner de Rossi and Luciana Reyes Pires Kassab

Micromachines 2025, 16(2), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16020171 - 31 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1010

Abstract

This study is focused on the fabrication and characterization of various dual waveguides through femtosecond (fs) laser irradiation of GeO₂-based glass samples. The objective of the present work is to develop diverse waveguide configurations, namely straight, S-bend and Y-shaped waveguides within GeO₂–PbO glasses embedded with silver nanoparticles, utilizing a double-guide platform, for photonic applications such as resonant rings and beam splitters. Enhanced guidance was observed with a larger radius of curvature (80 mm) among the two distinct S-bend waveguides produced. The maximum relative propagation loss was recorded for the S-bend waveguide with a 40 mm radius, while the minimum loss was noted for the Y-shaped waveguide. In the latter configuration, with an opening angle of 5° and a separation of 300 µm between the two arms, an output power ratio of 50.5/49.5 between the left and right arms indicated promising potential for beam splitter applications. During the study, the quality factor (M²) of the proposed architectures was measured and the 80 mm S-bend configuration presented the best symmetry between the x and y axes; in the case of the Y configuration the similarity between the M² values in both axes, for the first and second arms, indicates comparable light guidance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 4881 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surface Enhancement of Titanium Ti-3Al-2.5V Through Laser Remelting Process—A Material Analysis

by Esmaeil Ghadiri Zahrani, Babak Soltani and Bahman Azarhoushang

Micromachines 2024, 15(12), 1526; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15121526 - 22 Dec 2024

Viewed by 864

Abstract

This study evaluates the effects of laser parameters on the surface remelting of the Ti-3Al-2.5V alloy. A ms-laser equipped with a coaxial gas-pressure head integrated into a Swiss-type turning machine is used for the laser remelting process of cylindrical parts. The influence of different pulse frequencies, as well as varying intensities, is investigated. The results reveal that surface micro-cracks can be eliminated through laser remelting. Increasing the input laser intensity also increases the size of the melting pool. A similar effect is observed with higher pulse frequencies. The metallurgical microstructure and the size of the heat-affected zone of the remelted surface at different input laser energy levels are also examined. The results indicate that input laser energy influences phase transformation in the metallurgical microstructure, which correspondingly results in variations in micro-hardness within the heat-affected zone. The variations in laser fluence lead to a surface hardness improvement of approximately 15%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3702 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Conventional and Laser-Assisted Machining on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ti-Nb-Cr-V-Ni High-Entropy Alloy Fabricated with Directed Energy Deposition

by Ho-In Jeong, Osama Salem, Dong-Won Jung, Choon-Man Lee and Jeung-Hoon Lee

Micromachines 2024, 15(12), 1457; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15121457 - 29 Nov 2024

Viewed by 1317

Abstract

The high-entropy alloy (HEA) has recently attracted significant interest due to its novel alloy design concept and exceptional mechanical properties, which may exhibit either a single or multi-phase structure. Specifically, refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEA) composed of titanium, niobium, and nickel-based HEA demonstrate remarkable mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. Additive manufacturing (AM), specifically Direct Energy Deposition (DED), is efficient in fabricating high-entropy alloys (HEA) owing to its fast-cooling rates, which promote uniform microstructures and reduce defects. This study involved the fabrication of the Ti33Nb28Cr11V11Ni17 (Ti-Nb-Cr-V-Ni) RHEA utilizing DED. Additionally, the post-processing of the fabricated alloy is conducted using conventional machining (CM) and laser-assisted machining (LAM). The results indicate thermal conductivity and specific heat increased, whereas tensile strength reduced with rising temperature. Significant softening was observed above 800 °C, resulting in a considerable decrease in tensile strength. Furthermore, the LAM caused material softening and reduced the cutting force by 60.0% relative to CM. Furthermore, the chemical composition of Ti-Nb-Cr-V-Ni remained unaffected even after post-processing with CM and LAM. The research indicates that post-processing with LAM is essential for developing resilient RHEA for practical use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 21597 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reducing Feature Size in Laser Implantation Texturing

by Bart Ettema, Dave Matthews and Gert-Willem Römer

Micromachines 2024, 15(8), 958; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15080958 - 27 Jul 2024

Viewed by 917

Abstract

Embossing rolls are used in a variety of sectors to transfer surface textures to a product. Textures on the rolls are typically achieved by material-removal techniques, resulting in craters in the surface of the roll. The wear resistance of the surfaces is improved by additional coating technologies. A novel process offering improved surface design freedom and which negates the need for post-coating techniques is the embedding of micro-meter-sized ceramic particles in the surface of the roll. This can be achieved through micro-additive processing. This work presents and discusses experimental results of surface texturing through locally derived laser-induced melt pools in which ceramic particles are dissolved. This process is termed laser implantation, or laser dispersing. Using this technology, dome-shaped surface structures with significantly increased hardness compared to the bare steel can be achieved. Reported results in the literature focus on implantations with diameters ranging from 150

μ

m to 400

μ

m and heights ranging from 10

μ

m to 30

μ

m. However, features with smaller diameters and heights are desired for technology adoption to permit a wider range of surface roughness. This paper presents and discusses the experimental results of implantations with a diameter smaller than 150 µm, with heights between 1

μ

m and 15

μ

m. For that purpose, a Nd:YAG laser source (focal diameter 70

μ

m, pulse durations from 3 to 15 ms, pulse power from 20 to 50 W average) was used to induce a melt pool driving the particle embedding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 5714 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Femtosecond Laser Percussion Drilling of Silicon Using Repetitive Single Pulse, MHz-, and GHz-Burst Regimes

by Pierre Balage, Manon Lafargue, Théo Guilberteau, Guillaume Bonamis, Clemens Hönninger, John Lopez and Inka Manek-Hönninger

Micromachines 2024, 15(5), 632; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15050632 - 9 May 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3710

Abstract

In this contribution, we present novel results on top-down drilling in silicon, the most important semiconductor material, focusing specifically on the influence of the laser parameters. We compare the holes obtained with repetitive single pulses, as well as in different MHz- and GHz-burst regimes. The deepest holes were obtained in GHz-burst mode, where we achieved holes of almost 1 mm depth and 35 µm diameter, which corresponds to an aspect ratio of 27, which is higher than the ones reported so far in the literature, to the best of our knowledge. In addition, we study the influence of the energy repartition within the burst in GHz-burst mode. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 11058 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving the Quality of Laser Drilling by Assisted Process Methods of Static Solution and Mist Blowing

by Yuan Tao, Zhiwei Wang, Shanshan Hu, Yufei Feng, Fan Yang and Guangliang Li

Micromachines 2024, 15(4), 515; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15040515 - 12 Apr 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2166

Abstract

The use of static solution-assisted laser drilling can effectively improve hole roundness, decrease taper angle, and reduce recast layer thickness and hole wall slag adhesion. However, the enormous energy of the laser will evaporate the solution to form a suspension droplet and reduce the quality and efficiency of laser drilling. To deal with this defect, the mist-blowing method was used to reduce the influence of droplets on the taper angle and recast layer. In this work, the effect of wind speed on drilling quality was examined, and laser drilling in air, water, and NaCl solution was carried out to analyse the effect of solution composition on hole wall morphology. The results showed that a speed fan with a proper wind speed that disperses the droplets formed in the processing area can significantly reduce the refraction and scattering of the laser, and the taper angle and roundness of the drilling hole were also reduced by 15.6% and improved by 2.4%, respectively, under the wind speed of 2 m/s. The hole wall morphology showed a thicker recast layer and cracking in air, while it was thinner in water and there was little or no layer in the NaCl solution in the same current. When drilling in NaCl, the taper angle and roundness of the drilling hole were reduced by 4.13% and improved by 2.11%, respectively, compared to water. Due to the mechanical effect of the laser in the NaCl solution, the impact force on the material was much greater than that in water. The solution cavitation effect, generated by the absorption of laser energy, caused an explosive impact on the molten material adhered to the surface of the hole wall. Above all, drilling in the NaCl solution with a current of 200 A and a wind speed of 2 m/s was the optimal condition for obtaining the best processing quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 2651 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication of Thin-Wall Structures with a Femtosecond Laser and Stainless Steel Powder

by Iñigo Ramon-Conde, Luis Omeñaca, Mikel Gomez-Aranzadi, Enrique Castaño, Ainara Rodriguez and Santiago M. Olaizola

Micromachines 2024, 15(4), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15040444 - 26 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1377

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized the production of complex three-dimensional (3D) structures; however, the efficient and precise fabrication of thin profiles remains a challenge. This study explores the application of femtosecond-laser-based additive manufacturing techniques for the production of thin profiles with micron-scale features, reaching profile thicknesses below 100 µm. The study investigates the effects of scanning strategy, with optimized processing parameters, on the fabrication of thin profiles; wall thickness measurements were carried out using various technologies to analyse the influence of each on the resulting values. The quality of the walls was quantified by means of a visual characterization of the melted volumes, analysing the evolution of the measured thickness with regard to the processing conditions and in relation to the theoretical thicknesses of the walls. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication, Second Edition

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (10 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI