Fabrication of nano channel systems in quartz by laser-induced splitting

This paper reports a novel laser processing technique for making channels in the nano regime. A Nd:YAG laser has been used to dry fabricate micro channels (25 μm-100 μm diameter) in a 1 cm³ fused silica substrate by thermal-induced processing. By controlling the locations of these initiating micro channels on a silica cube, a 1D-controllable self-connecting nano fracture can be formed as a rectangular channel. This nano channel is smooth with extremely high aspect ratio (~10⁴ depth to width ratio). The length is controlled by the separation of the initiating micro channels. This laser-based nano channel fabrication technique is fast, and inexpensive with potential applications in capillary electrophoresis, and electro-osmosis driven nano-filtration