Fonon Technology International Inc. (Longwood, FL) has announced the Fantom G6 product line based on an F300GL integrated laser module. The company's equipment is based on Zero Width Laser Cutting Technology (ZWLCT) and is used for laser scribing in the flat panel display industry.

The mathematical modeling and physical tests lead to a brand new laser beam shape generated directly by the F300GL laser head resulting in full separation of 0.5 to 0.7 mm glass at 500 to 700 mm per second, which has been achieved in the company lab on G4 glass for selective applications.

The integrated CO₂ laser system has no need for external beam shaping optical elements and field alignment, and provides virtually maintenance-free, 24/7 operation and a laser replacement procedure requiring less than 30 minutes.

According to the company, results achieved on G4 glass suggest that the new technology can be used for building industrial-grade laser cutting equipment for Generation 6 and 8 glass panels. As the cost of mechanical scribing machinery increases exponentially with glass panel sizes up to G8, the laser head is no longer a price-prohibitive component in the overall equipment cost.

The product will be available as a standalone glass cutting system, as a component for the in-line system from Fonon DSS, and as an OEM package from C2 Laser Corporation, a subsidiary of Fonon Technology.

ZWLCT splits materials on the molecular level with tremendous speed. Additionally there is no material loss, no particles, and no chips or other debris associated with conventional scribe and break technology. This is done at high speeds by controlled propagation of a microcrack through the subsurface layer of material. The scribe line is formed in such a way that molecules do not leave the surface of the glass, unlike conventional scribe and break technologies. This method incorporates controlled heating followed by a cooling of the glass surface. This creates the intermolecular separation of the glass substrate. ZWLCT will enhance the FPD separation process in terms of yield, as well as provide a reduction in contamination. Reportedly, ZWLCT excels when scribing Generation 6 and 8 panels.

Fonon claims that its glass scribing technology surpasses older mechanical separation technology currently used to cut glass and other brittle materials for the electronic and semiconductor industries. Conventional technology creates vent cracks by stressing the substrate, which in turn creates surface damage and lateral cracks, resulting in particulate generation and yield loss. It is this loss, plus the purchase cost for mechanical scribing and breaking systems, that has become the significant contributor to the retail cost of modern flat panel displays.

ZWLCT creates internal tensile forces so great that total separation of display glass is achieved with speeds previously available only for scribing. This process is called full body separation. Full separation speed of 500 to 600 mm/s has been achieved in the company's lab on G4 glass for selective applications. This also reduces the known limitations for cross cutting.

For more information, visit www.fonon.com.

Wed Dec 20 09:58:00 CST 2006