Realization of a physical mask by laser micro-cutting process

Laser micromachining is a rapidly developing technology which allows to carry out laser material processing as cutting, drilling, marking and engraving on a millimetric or sub-millimetric dimensional scale which can be applied to the fabrication of micro-devices. The use of laser sources emitting very short pulses (a few ns) focalized on very small areas (laser spot diameters of a few mum) and micro-positioning systems of high velocity and precision, allows to execute high-resolution works, considerably reducing the processed area and the heat-affected zone so that to assure a good profile and surface quality. The aim of this work is to identify the optimal process parameters for the fabrication of physical masks useful to the realization of electronic devices as sensors or MEMS. A typical application is as transducer element in a biosensor, an analytical device which converts a biological response into an electrical signal. This configuration provides a highly sensitive biosensor capable of yielding good response even when the amount of a sample is extremely small.