RAPID NX Laser

Coherent Inc. offers a platform reportedly designed to deliver all the benefits of ultrafast laser materials processing at a lower price point than previously available. Specifically, RAPID NX combines the best aspects of Coherent's Talisker and RAPID series lasers, including pulse-on-demand and burst mode operation.

The first RAPID NX offers 6W of average power at 1064 nm and a pulsewidth of less than 15 ps. Pulse energy is adjustable up to 50 microJ, and repetition rate can be varied over a wide range: from 50 kHz to 1 MHz. This makes RAPID NX an ideal source for diverse precision applications, including high value marking, surface structuring for friction reduction, photovoltaics manufacturing, LED dicing, thin film applications, and many more micromachining tasks.

Numerous microstructuring and microprocessing tasks exhibit superior results when performed with an industrial ultrafast laser, as opposed to longer pulsewidth (nanosecond regime) lasers. But, the higher cost of picosecond lasers has kept them from more widespread adoption. By offering a dramatically lower price point without sacrificing operational capabilities, RAPID NX now makes many of these potential applications economically viable, thus significantly expanding the applications space for ultrafast microprocessing, according to the company. Additionally, the use of high reliability components, such as Coherent's long-lifetime pump diodes, and a modular construction that enables easy field service, enables a low cost-of-ownership matrix for the RAPID NX.