Quartz Wafer Processing with Femtosecond Lasers for Eco-Friendly Micro-Resonator Fabrication

Transparent dielectrics such as fused silica, lithium niobate and quartz, are media of great relevance in the optics and sensing industries because of their various important properties as chemical inertness, high transmissivity in extended wavelength intervals and piezoelectricity. Chemical processing, based on techniques such as dry and wet etching, represents the established production method for fabricating devices from these materials. These methods have the benefit of being easily integrated into industrial lines, but they also carry a significant environmental footprint. Ultrafast pulsed laser machining represents a reliable and environmentally friendly alternative for processing transparent dielectrics [1].