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Material Selection

Material Selection

Material Selection

(OP)
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.  

RE: Material Selection

TheMotionGuy,

   What is the material supposed to accomplish?   

               JHG

RE: Material Selection

(OP)
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.  

RE: Material Selection

Wood.

RE: Material Selection

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.

Posting guidelines FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm? (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?

RE: Material Selection

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.

RE: Material Selection

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.

RE: Material Selection

(OP)
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.  

RE: Material Selection

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

RE: Material Selection

(OP)
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.  

RE: Material Selection

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).  

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