Author: NSI

NSI Laser showcase at IPC APEX EXPO 2020

Posted on by NSI

THANK YOU  for visiting our booth and discuss your applications at IPC APEX EXPO during Feb 2-6, 2020. We are very pleased to showcase our latest innovations in fine feature laser processing for laser drilling and circuit patterning. Here is the recap of our new exciting offering!

15 MICRON FINE FEATURE?

CHECK OUR NEWEST MODEL

UV-FLEX-DB

  • Advance optics design to enable 12 micron beam size for 15/15 line/space fine feature processing.
  • NSIconverter  to generate optimal isolation routing.
  • 50/50 Beam Split to double processing throughput.
  • Optional Roll-to-Roll automation.
  • Typical Material: Copper foil, LCP, PI, COF, etc.

Processing Samples

Microvias

15/15 line & spacing

Pattern routing

Cross Section

Contact us

Hybrid Material Processing

Posted on by NSI

In this week’s blog, we’re going to discuss our experience processing hybrid material. When you’re trying to determine which laser to run preliminary sample testing, you must first consider these variables first:

Is your hybrid material uniformly or randomly distributed?

Randomly distributed composite will be more challenging and time consuming when developing a recipe.

Is the material composite similar or very different from each other?

When a material is significantly different from each other, there might be a need to develop very different processes to deal with each composite material. Sometime this requires 2 different laser types to accomplish all the objectives. NSI specifically designed the Dual Beam line to cater to this requirement.

What are the key objectives (Small HAZ, Smooth Walls, Controlled OD/ID, etc.) you’re trying to achieve in this laser process?

Knowing you must have and nice to have process output requirements is key in determining which laser system is best suited for you. Let’s take a comparison between Femtosecond and Nanosecond lasers.

1. Throughput for fs lasers can be 3x less than ns lasers. To offset this throughput issues, we have utilized our dual beam laser systems. For large volume removal (holes >50 um diameter and >50 um depth) a ns laser could be used first to remove a large portion of the material and then a fs laser can be used for “clean-up” run.

2. For Ultrafast (ps or fs) lasers, assuming the total energy is the same, will have much higher peak power and energy density than the ns laser has. This will result with almost all the energy of the ultrashort pulse contributing to the material interaction and no heat generation or transferring onto the material.

3. Ultrafast lasers are significantly more expensive than ns lasers, usually 3x or greater.

Is your process critical enough to require an absorption test on the material?

When you’re having an issue accomplishing a specific output, you can consider sending the material to a lab to perform absorption testing to determine which wavelength and pulse width is best suited for each of your hybrid material.

Hybrid Material Processing

Posted in: Blog

Transitioning From Mechanical to Laser Micro Machining

Posted on by NSI
We’ve noticed that more PCB, flex manufacturers, and micro machining shops are starting to make the transition from mechanical to laser processing. Whether it be for routing, drilling, or cutting, laser seems to be the faster and ideal solution to meet the growing demand for finer features on thinner, unique materials.

Laser processing systems are costly due to the expensive components and the laser itself. Don’t be scared by the price tag though, there are ways to go around it such as special financing or purchasing older generation or refurbished systems. If there aren’t any available used or refurbished options, opt towards dual laser for more versatility. One system with a combination of lasers enable multiple processes in one set-up and will save costs compared to buying two lasers and will enhance your material processing capability if you use two different wavelengths and laser types.

Return On Investment
It might be a good investment to buy an inhouse laser system if there’s such a high demand that almost all the jobs have to be sent out. Eventually, the cost of the outsourcing all the jobs will exceed the price of an actual system. Getting an in-house system will shorten lead time, save money, and increase competitive advantage. It is more beneficial for the growth of the company to have the micro machining capabilities in house.

Advantages of laser processing:

Controllable depth and inner/outer diameter
Straightforward process monitoring
Cleaner and non-contact machining
Little to no heat-affected zone, free of burr and bulging
Finer features and lines
Faster speed and precision
Consistent machining quality
No additional tooling costs by wear
No solvents or chemicals

We want to help smaller, local, custom PCB manufacturers transition from mechanical to laser. For more information or to send over samples for testing, contact one of our laser experts at sales@nsi-usa.com.

 

NSI Opening of Applications Laboratory

Posted on by NSI

NSI Laser Announces Opening of Applications Laboratory

REMONT, California – March 29, 2017 –  NSI Laser is opening an applications laboratory at its Fremont, CA facility. This is in response to the whole electronics industry moving towards high density interconnect (HDI) and finer geometry PCBs. As new materials enter this miniaturization challenge, the demand for new and advanced laser micro machining processes increases. The new App Lab is equipped with NSI’s unique dual-head laser systems to meet these new demands. It also features analytical capabilities such as 3D imaging for real time sample process evaluation.

The App Lab will be managed by Dr. Yung Kuo, who recently joined NSI Laser as its Senior Laser Applications Engineer. Yung brings over 25 years of practical laser micro machining experience and process development. “We are delighted to launch our App Lab to better serve our prospective customers. With micro vias becoming less than 5mils, conventional PCB processes no longer apply and laser micro machining is the only option. We are ready to assist our customers in this new process development”, said Dr. Kuo.

NSI Laser is dedicated to laser micro machining and builds its systems using only state-of-the-art components. NSI systems perform a variety of processes such as etching, drilling, skiving, and routing can handle any mix and volume.

The NSI App Lab will be operational by April 3, 2017.

For additional information, please contact:
Sam Zhou
NSI Laser
48430 Milmont Dr.
Fremont, CA 94538
Phone:408-935-2270
www.nsi-usa.com
info@nsilaser.com

NSI Laser Announces Opening of Applications Laboratory