An introduction to laser microfabrication

Summary form only given. Miniature devices and microsystems are becom??ing increasingly important in our everyday lives,and laser tools are frequently used to fabricate and interconnect them. However, from the perspective of the manufacturing engineer, lasers are just one of several tools that can be utilized in microfabrication. Lasers are not the solution to every problem, but they offer an interesting mix of capabilities-feature resolution extending into the micron range, applicability to a very wide range of materials, processing in ambient air, and adaptability to automation.