Lake Mary, FL-Precision Technology Group (PTG) has demonstrated superior results in the laser process for the removal of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) coatings from glass.
ITO is a transparent conductive material commonly used for electrodes in displays or other applications that require conductivity along with light transmission. Currently, the most common process for the removal of ITO is chemical etching, a process that can take up to 20 minutes to complete and requires the use of specially designed stencils. In contrast, the fiber laser performs an ablation process using a high-intensity laser beam to vaporize the ITO directly from the surface substrate in order to leave the spaces necessary for the proper circuit configuration.
Fiber laser ablation is a one-step process. The dry laser process requires only one machine, the FiberTower, with a small footprint saving a large amount of cleanroom space. No chemicals are used, creating no pollution and no need for chemical waste disposal. Reportedly, the excellent beam quality of the fiber laser produces straight, clean lines formed in a single step with no pinhole side effects and no lateral etching, producing high-quality laser machining results.
This system is a safe, low-cost alternative to Nd:YAG systems to remove ITO from glass typically used in flat-panel displays, liquid displays, and touch screen displays. According to the company, using its FiberScan graphical-based laser programming software, users can produce ITO ablation programs with minimal learning curve. FiberTower components include Q-switched fiber laser, scan head, PCI control board, power supply, and software configured for ITO removal.
For more information, visit www.ptgindustries.com.