Surface structuring of glass with submicrometer features using selective laser etching

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Original languageEnglish
Article number39356
JournalScientific reports
Volume15
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 10 Nov 2025

Abstract

Selective laser etching (SLE) is a procedure to create customized micro-fluidic or micro-mechanical structures in glass. We aim to utilize SLE for optics production as well and report on detailed investigations of the glass structuring process by variation of stage speed, laser power, polarization and repetition rate of the laser to reduce the surface roughness to optical quality without any additional process steps. We show that a surface roughness of 30 nm can be achieved which is sufficient to fabricate optical components or integrated optical structures even for the visible wavelength range. Our results enable the fabrication of free standing micro-structures with a feature size of less than 1 µm in fused silica using SLE and KOH as etchant which enables the fabrication of optical gratings.

Keywords

    Integrated optics, Optical waveguides, Selective laser etching

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Surface structuring of glass with submicrometer features using selective laser etching. / Günther, Axel; Wang, Xiaowei; Kowalsky, Wolfgang et al.
In: Scientific reports, Vol. 15, No. 1, 39356, 10.11.2025.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Günther A, Wang X, Kowalsky W, Roth B. Surface structuring of glass with submicrometer features using selective laser etching. Scientific reports. 2025 Nov 10;15(1):39356. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-27241-0
Günther, Axel ; Wang, Xiaowei ; Kowalsky, Wolfgang et al. / Surface structuring of glass with submicrometer features using selective laser etching. In: Scientific reports. 2025 ; Vol. 15, No. 1.
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AU - Günther, Axel

AU - Wang, Xiaowei

AU - Kowalsky, Wolfgang

AU - Roth, Bernhard

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.

PY - 2025/11/10

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