By: Dr. Lim Gnian Cher
Laser is a potential tool for machining structural profiles on hard and brittle materials such as ceramics and carbides that traditional tools and methods find them near impossible to do. EDM (electro-discharge machining) may be used for substrates that are conductive, such as tungsten carbide. However, drilling small holes or machining channels and other features that are less than 100 um in dimensions cannot be achieved even with EDM.