Data recording on ceramic material

Abstract

Device for recording data in a layer of the ceramic material (1), the device comprising: a laser source (2) comprising a picosecond laser or a femtosecond laser; a digital micromirror device (3) that can emit multiple laser beams (4); a collimation optic for focusing the laser light emitted from the laser source onto the digital micromirror device (3); a substrate holder (6) for mounting a substrate (7); and a focusing optic (8) suitable for focusing each of the multiple laser beams (4) emitted by the digital micromirror device (3) onto a substrate (7) mounted on the substrate holder (6); wherein the fluence of each of the multiple laser beams (4) emitted by the digital micromirror device (3) is greater than 100 mJ / cm 2 is.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for recording data in a layer of a ceramic material.

[0002] The applicant of the present invention has developed a method for long-term information storage and a corresponding storage medium (see PCT / EP2019 / 071805 and PCT / EP2020 / 068892). According to one aspect of the long-term information storage method, information is encoded on a writable plate comprising a ceramic material by using a laser beam to manipulate localized areas of the writable plate. While this method can, in principle, be carried out with a fixed-focal-point laser beam by mounting the writable plate on an XY positioning system and moving the localized areas of the writable plate into the laser focus where the encoding is to take place, this method is cumbersome and time-consuming.

[0003] US 4,069,487 and US 4,556,893 also disclose laser-recordable recording media that use recording layer materials such as metal oxides and metal carbides. However, in both cases, the recording is based on a rotating disk technology, which is disadvantageous due to the slow recording process caused by having to create one indentation after another along the recording spiral.

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for recording data in a layer of a ceramic material, which is suitable for recording a large amount of data in a relatively short period of time.

[0005] This objective is achieved by a device according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0006] The present disclosure also describes a method for recording data in a layer of ceramic material, which can be carried out with the device according to the invention. According to the method, a layer of ceramic material is provided, and several regions of the layer are selectively illuminated with a laser beam using a digital micromirror device (DMD). The parameters of the laser beam and the illumination time for each of the selected regions are configured to ablate each of the selected regions in order to record data in the layer of ceramic material by creating depressions in the layer of ceramic material.

[0007] The laser beam preferably originates from a picosecond or femtosecond laser. Using a picosecond or femtosecond laser is very advantageous for creating well-defined depressions. The ablation technique disclosed in US 4,556,893 uses a focused, modulated laser diode beam that produces pits or bubbles depending on the laser power. Because the recording layer material is light-absorbing, this layer is locally heated and melts and / or vaporizes as a result. However, these processes are rather uncontrolled and generally lead to undesirable hole shapes. For example, a ring of molten and subsequently solidified material can form around the edge of the hole, as also seen in Fig. 4 of US 4,556,893 are shown. This is unacceptable when producing extremely small wells to increase data density, as it is necessary to produce these wells reproducibly and to enable a reproducible readout technique.

[0008] The inventor of the present invention has conducted several experiments with various ablation techniques on ceramic materials. It has been found that very well-defined holes with a circular cross-section and very sharp edges can be produced using a picosecond or femtosecond laser. This is thought to be due to the ablation process triggered by the picosecond or femtosecond laser. A picosecond or femtosecond laser pulse does not heat the ceramic material, but rather interacts with the electrons of the material. It is assumed that a picosecond or femtosecond laser pulse interacts with the outer valence electrons responsible for chemical bonding, thereby removing the valence electrons from the atoms and leaving the latter positively charged.Given the mutually repulsive state between atoms whose chemical bonds have been broken, the material "explodes" into a small plasma cloud of high-energy ions at higher velocities than in thermal emission. This phenomenon is known as a Coulomb explosion and differs significantly from regular laser ablation with, for example, nanosecond lasers, where the material is heated at the surface to melt and vaporize, leaving molten material at the edge of the impact area.

[0009] Coulomb explosion is a physical process clearly confined to the laser impact area, whereas heat-induced ablation involves an undefined heat flow within the material. Therefore, Coulomb explosion is ideal for creating a large number of tiny depressions, enabling a dramatic increase in data density compared to known techniques. While good results can be achieved with a picosecond laser, the use of a femtosecond laser is advantageous in this respect. The laser therefore preferably has a pulse duration of less than 10 ps, ​​and particularly preferably less than 1 ps.

[0010] Preferably, the fluence of each of the multiple laser beams emitted by the DMD is greater than 100 mJ / cm². 2 , preferably greater than 400 mJ / cm² 2 , especially preferably greater than 800 mJ / cm² 2 , especially preferred to be larger than 1 J / cm²2 .

[0011] Within the scope of the present invention, the term "recess" refers to a hole, groove, or indentation in the ceramic material. In other words, the recess forms a volume without any ceramic material being present. This volume is in fluid communication with the atmosphere. In other words, each recess is open to the atmosphere and is neither covered nor sealed.

[0012] Such open wells are advantageous compared to the technique described in US 4,069,487, which uses a protective layer covering the recorded information section, because an open well allows for clean, complete ablation of the material that was in the well prior to ablation. This is particularly important when fabricating extremely small wells to increase data density, as it is necessary to fabricate these wells reproducibly and to enable a reproducible readout technique.

[0013] The DMD features an array or matrix of micromirrors that allows for the selective illumination of predetermined pixels on the ceramic material by adjusting the corresponding micromirrors within the array or matrix. This enables the simultaneous and highly controlled illumination of a large number of pixels on the ceramic material, a process easily automated. Depending on the number of micromirrors in the DMD, millions of selected areas (i.e., pixels) of the ceramic layer can be manipulated simultaneously within a timeframe sufficient to ablate a selected area for data acquisition. Such digital micromirror devices are readily available and can be easily integrated into a recording device.

[0014] Preferably, the pixels on the ceramic material, i.e., the predetermined positions where indentations can be formed, are arranged in a regular matrix or array, i.e., in a repeating two-dimensional pattern with a lattice or grid-like structure. Particularly preferred matrices or arrays have, for example, a square or hexagonal pattern. Such matrices or arrays enable an optimized data density that is significantly greater than that of a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc, since the individual pixels or bits are not separated by a track spacing (e.g., 320 nm in Blu-ray Disc) that is more than twice the size of the individual pixels or bits (e.g., 150 nm in Blu-ray Disc). Conventional disc-shaped recording media are also limited with respect to the maximum rotational speed that can be reliably achieved during recording or reading.Therefore, the write / read speeds that can be achieved with such matrices or arrangements are much higher than those that are possible with spirally arranged depressions.

[0015] Preferably, the depressions have a circular cross-section. The depressions can extend only partially into the ceramic layer or form through holes in the ceramic layer. In the first case, depressions or holes of different depths can be created, each depth corresponding to a predefined information bit, as described in PCT / EP2020 / 068892. For this purpose, the ceramic layer can be illuminated with two or more laser pulses, the DMD micromirrors being adjusted between successive pulses to create areas of the ceramic layer that are (i) never illuminated, (ii) illuminated once with a single laser pulse, (iii) illuminated twice with two laser pulses, and so on.

[0016] The applicant has demonstrated in previous experiments that a 5 µm thick CrN layer can be visibly and reliably manipulated with a single femtosecond laser pulse (see PCT / EP2020 / 068892). Accordingly, the method of the present disclosure enables the encoding of at least several thousand and up to several million pixels within a few hundred femtoseconds. The recording speed of the described method is therefore limited only by the number of micromirrors of the DMD and the time required for adjusting the micromirrors.

[0017] Preferably, the layer of ceramic material is moved or shifted laterally during recording, e.g., using an XY positioning system (where the z-axis is perpendicular to the surface of the layer) such as a scanning stage. Thus, after recording an array or matrix of pixels, an adjacent array or matrix of pixels can be recorded simply by moving the layer of ceramic material to a neighboring area.

[0018] Accordingly, the described method preferably comprises the steps of: selectively illuminating several areas within a first area of ​​the layer of ceramic material with the laser beam using the DMD, wherein the first area can be covered by the DMD; shifting the layer of ceramic material so that a second area, which differs from the first area, can be covered by the DMD; and selectively illuminating several areas within the second area of ​​the layer of ceramic material with the laser beam using the DMD.

[0019] If both the DMD and the XY positioning system are controlled correctly, data recording speeds of at least 10 MB / s, preferably at least 100 MB / s, preferably at least 1 GB / s and most preferably at least 10 GB / s can be achieved.

[0020] Preferably, the laser beam (i.e., the multiple laser beams emitted by the DMD) is focused onto the ceramic material layer using a lens (or more complex optics) with a high numerical aperture, preferably a numerical aperture of at least 0.5, and particularly preferably at least 0.8. Immersion optics are preferably used to further increase the numerical aperture. When immersion optics are used, the numerical aperture can be at least 1.0, and preferably at least 1.2.

[0021] Preferably, a beam shaping device is also used to generate specific beam shapes that are advantageous for data recording. For example, a matrix of laser zone plates can be transmitted by the multiple laser beams emanating from the DMD. These laser zone plates can, for example, be adapted to generate a needle-shaped Bessel beam for each of the multiple laser beams.

[0022] A Bessel beam has the advantage of a significantly greater depth of field. While the focal length of a regular Gaussian beam is on the order of the wavelength of the focused light, the focal length achievable with a Bessel beam is at least four times the wavelength of the focused light. Simultaneously, the focal width is approximately half that achievable with a Gaussian beam.

[0023] In general, the size of the features achievable with the described method (e.g., the diameter of a depression in the ceramic material) varies between 2 / 3 λ (air) and 1 / 2 λ (immersion) for a Gaussian beam and between 1 / 3 λ (air) and 1 / 4 λ (immersion) for a Besselian beam (where λ is the wavelength of the laser light). The Besselian beam shape thus has the advantage that smaller process features and therefore a higher recording density can be achieved. Furthermore, the increased focus length of the Besselian beam is advantageous because, for example, deeper depressions can be created. This is particularly important when features of varying depths are to be generated in order to encode information, e.g., about the depth of a depression. Since the focus of a Gaussian beam is conical, increasing the depth of a depression means increasing the diameter of the depression at the surface.In contrast, the more cylindrical focus of a Bessel beam allows for much deeper depressions with a nearly constant diameter.

[0024] Such Bessel beams can also be generated using other beam-shaping devices. A particularly preferred example of a beam-shaping device is a spatial light modulator, which is especially versatile because it can be used to generate Bessel beams to provide optical proximity control and a phase-shift mask.

[0025] Preferably, the layer of ceramic material comprises a metal nitride such as CrN, CrAlN, TiN, TiCN, TiAlN, ZrN, AlN, VN, Si3N4, ThN, HfN, BN; and / or a metal carbide such as TiC, CrC, Al4C3, VC, ZrC, HfC, ThC, B4C, SiC; and / or a metal oxide such as Al2O3, TiO2, SiO2, ZrO2, ThO2, MgO, Cr2O3, Zr2O3, V2O3; and / or a metal boride such as TiB2, ZrB2, CrB2, VB2, SiB6, ThB2, HfB2, WB2, WB4; and / or a metal silicide such as TiSi2, ZrSi2, MoSi2, WSi2, PtSi, Mg2Si. Particularly preferred materials are B4C, HfC, Cr2O3, ZrB2, CrB2, SiB6, Si3N4, ThN, CrN and CrAlN. These materials offer sufficient hardness and resistance to environmental influences for the long-term storage of recorded data.

[0026] Preferably, the step of providing a layer of ceramic material comprises providing a substrate and coating the substrate with the layer of ceramic material, which is different from the material of the ceramic substrate. In this way, only a small amount of the potentially more expensive coating material is required, while structural integrity is achieved with a robust and potentially less expensive substrate. The layer of ceramic material preferably has a thickness of no more than 10 µm, preferably no more than 5 µm, preferably no more than 2 µm, preferably no more than 1 µm, particularly preferably no more than 100 nm, and most particularly preferably no more than 10 nm.

[0027] Preferably the substrate has a thickness of less than 1 mm, preferably less than 250 µm, particularly preferably less than 200 µm and most preferably less than 150 µm.

[0028] Furthermore, the use of a substrate can enable the creation of optical contrast between the substrate (where a hole is created in the coating) and the surrounding coating material. Accordingly, selectively illuminating multiple areas of the ceramic material layer with a laser beam using a digital micromirror device preferably involves ablating sufficient material in each area so that the depressions extend down to the substrate. Preferably, the manipulation of the selected areas causes them to stand out from the surrounding material. In some applications, this may result in optical distinguishability. However, in other cases (particularly when the coded structures are too small), these areas can only be distinguished by, for example,a scanning electron microscope or the measurement of another physical parameter change, for example the magnetic, dielectric or conductive properties, of the surrounding material can be distinguished.

[0029] Preferably, the ceramic substrate comprises an oxide ceramic, and particularly preferably, the ceramic substrate comprises at least 90 wt.%, preferably at least 95 wt.%, of one or a combination of: Al₂O₃, TiO₂, SiO₂, ZrO₂, ThO₂, MgO, Cr₂O₃, Zr₂O₃, V₂O₃. These materials are known to be particularly durable under various conditions and / or to resist environmental degradation. Therefore, these materials are particularly suitable for long-term storage under various conditions. It is particularly preferred that the ceramic substrate comprises one or a combination of: sapphire (Al₂O₃), silicon dioxide (SiO₂), zirconium silicate (Zr(SiO₄)), zirconium oxide (ZrO₂), boron monoxide (B₂O), boron trioxide (B₂O₃), sodium oxide (Na₂O), potassium oxide (K₂O), lithium oxide (Li₂O), zinc oxide (ZnO), magnesium oxide (MgO).

[0030] Preferably, the ceramic substrate comprises a non-oxide ceramic; more preferably, the ceramic substrate comprises at least 90 wt.%, and most preferably at least 95 wt.%, of one or a combination of: a metal nitride such as CrN, CrAlN, TiN, TiCN, TiAlN, ZrN, AlN, VN, Si3N4, ThN, HfN, BN; a metal carbide such as TiC, CrC, Al4C3, VC, ZrC, HfC, ThC, B4C, SiC; a metal boride such as TiB2, ZrB2, CrB2, VB2, SiB6, ThB2, HfB2, WB2, WB4; and a metal silicide such as TiSi2, ZrSi2, MoSi2, WSi2, PtSi, Mg2Si. These materials are known to be particularly durable under various conditions and / or to resist environmental degradation. Therefore, these materials are particularly suitable for long-term storage under various conditions. It is especially preferred that the ceramic substrate comprises one or a combination of BN, CrSi2, SiC, and SiB6.

[0031] Preferably, the ceramic substrate comprises one or a combination of Ni, Cr, Co, Fe, W, Mo, or other metals with a melting point above 1400 °C. Preferably, the ceramic material and the metal form a metal matrix composite, wherein the ceramic material is dispersed in the metal or metal alloy. Preferably, the proportion of the metal is 5–30 wt.%, more preferably 10–20 wt.% of the ceramic substrate, i.e., the metal matrix composite. Particularly preferred metal matrix composites are: WC / Co-Ni-Mo, BN / Co-Ni-Mo, TiN / Co-Ni-Mo, and / or SiC / Co-Ni-Mo.

[0032] The ceramic layer is preferably applied directly to the ceramic substrate, i.e., without an intermediate layer, to achieve a strong bond between the ceramic substrate and the ceramic layer. The coated ceramic substrate is preferably annealed before and / or after the application to achieve such a strong bond. Annealing can create a sintered interface between the ceramic substrate and the ceramic layer. The sintered interface can contain at least one element from both the substrate material and the ceramic layer, as one or more elements from one of the two adjacent layers can diffuse into the other. The presence of the sintered interface can further strengthen the bond between the ceramic substrate and the ceramic layer.

[0033] Preferably, the tempering of the coated ceramic substrate comprises heating the coated ceramic substrate to a temperature in the range of 200 °C to 4000 °C, preferably in the range of 1000 °C to 2000 °C. The tempering process may include a heating phase with a temperature increase of at least 10 K per hour, a plateau phase at a peak temperature for at least 1 minute, and finally a cooling phase with a temperature decrease of at least 10 K per hour. The tempering process may contribute to hardening the ceramic substrate and / or permanently bonding the ceramic material to the ceramic substrate.

[0034] Laser ablation of selected areas of the ceramic layer can expose the underlying ceramic substrate, resulting in a (visually) recognizable contrast between the manipulated area and the rest of the ceramic layer.

[0035] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the substrate is transparent to the wavelength of the laser beam. Preferably, the substrate has a transmission of at least 95%, more preferably at least 97%, and most preferably at least 99% for light of the wavelength of the laser beam. The substrate can, for example, comprise a glassy transparent ceramic material or a crystalline ceramic material, such as sapphire (Al₂O₃), silicon dioxide (SiO₂), zirconium silicate (Zr(SiO₄)), zirconium oxide (ZrO₂), boron monoxide (B₂O), boron trioxide (B₂O₃), sodium oxide (Na₂O), potassium oxide (K₂O), lithium oxide (Li₂O), zinc oxide (ZnO), or magnesium oxide (MgO).

[0036] Particularly suitable crystalline ceramic materials include sapphire (Al2O3), silicon dioxide (SiO2), zirconium silicate (Zr(SiO4)), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), and magnesium oxide (MgO).

[0037] Such a transparent material is particularly advantageous because it allows selective illumination of multiple areas of the ceramic material layer (applied to the substrate) through the transparent substrate. In this way, any fragments generated during recording are produced on a surface of the coated substrate facing the recording optics. This surface can therefore be easily cleaned and / or cooled without affecting the recording optics.

[0038] Due to the high transmission factor of the transparent substrate material, the laser light does not interact with the substrate and simply passes through it, for example, to remove only the coating. In particular, the substrate material is not significantly heated by the laser beam.

[0039] Preferably, the laser beam (i.e., each of the multiple laser beams emitted by the DMD) has a minimum focus diameter of no more than 400 nm, preferably no more than 300 nm, particularly preferably no more than 200 nm, and most preferably no more than 100 nm.

[0040] Preferably, the wavelength of the laser beam is less than 700 nm, preferably less than 650 nm, particularly preferably less than 600 nm, particularly preferably less than 500 nm, and most preferably less than 400 nm. Shorter wavelengths allow for the creation of smaller structures and thus a higher data density. Furthermore, the energy per photon (quantum of action) is higher at shorter wavelengths.

[0041] The present invention further relates to a device for recording data in a layer of a ceramic material. The device comprises a laser source, a digital micromirror device (DMD) capable of emitting multiple laser beams, collimation optics for collimating the laser light emitted by the laser source onto the DMD, a substrate holder for mounting a substrate, and focusing optics capable of focusing each of the multiple laser beams emitted by the DMD onto a substrate mounted on the substrate holder. The fluence of each of the multiple laser beams emitted by the DMD is greater than 100 mJ / cm². 2 , preferably greater than 400 mJ / cm² 2 , especially preferably greater than 800 mJ / cm² 2 , especially preferred to be larger than 1 J / cm² 2The laser source preferably comprises a picosecond laser or a femtosecond laser. The laser source preferably has a pulse duration of less than 10 ps, ​​particularly preferably less than 1 ps.

[0042] All the preferred features described above in connection with the described method can also be used analogously in the device according to the invention.

[0043] The power density of the laser beams is preferably suitable to manipulate a layer of a ceramic material sufficiently to record data on or within the layer of the ceramic material. Preferably, the power density of the laser beams allows for the ablation of the aforementioned ceramic materials.

[0044] The focusing optics preferably comprise a lens (or a more complex optic) with a high numerical aperture, preferably with a numerical aperture of at least 0.5, particularly preferably of at least 0.8. When using immersion optics, the numerical aperture can be at least 1.0, preferably at least 1.2.

[0045] The device preferably includes a beam shaping device, preferably a matrix of laser zone plates or a spatial light modulator, to generate, for example, multiple Bessel beams, as described above. Such a beam shaping device is preferably arranged in front of the focusing optics. In this case, several lenses, preferably Fresnel lenses, are preferably located directly behind the beam shaping device to focus, for example, the Bessel beams.

[0046] At the substrate, each of the multiple laser beams is preferably a Bessel beam. At the substrate, each of the multiple laser beams preferably has a minimum focus diameter of no more than 400 nm, preferably no more than 300 nm, particularly preferably no more than 200 nm, and most particularly preferably no more than 100 nm.

[0047] The substrate holder is preferably mounted on an XY positioning system, such as a scan table. The device preferably includes a processor configured to control the DMD and the XY positioning system in order to sequentially illuminate adjacent areas or pixel arrangements of the substrate mounted on the substrate holder.

[0048] This processor (or an additional processing unit) is preferably set up and configured to receive a set of data to be recorded (i.e., analog or digital data such as text, numbers, an arrangement of pixels, a QR code, or the like) and to control the components of the device (in particular the DMD and the XY positioning system, and optionally the beam shaping device) to perform the described method of recording the received data set on or in the layer of ceramic material.

[0049] Preferably the wavelength of the laser source is less than 700 nm, preferably less than 650 nm, more preferably less than 600 nm, even more preferably less than 500 nm and particularly preferably less than 400 nm.

[0050] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail with reference to the figures, which show: Fig. 1 a schematic view of a device for recording data according to a preferred embodiment; Fig. 2a schematically a first recording alternative; Fig. 2b schematically a second recording alternative; Fig. 3 schematically a device for recording data according to another preferred embodiment; and Fig. 4 A schematic view of a combination of a polarizer, a zone plate and a lens, and a graph of the resulting beam shape and focal length along the axis of the laser beam.

[0051] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a device for recording data in a layer of a ceramic material according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The device comprises a laser source 2 that emits laser light onto a DMD 3, which has several micromirrors 3a arranged in an array. The DMD 3 is configured to emit several laser beams 4 either along a first direction (i.e., for recording) or along a second direction (indicated by reference 9) for each micromirror that is in an "off" state, redirecting these laser beams 4 to a beam discharge area (not shown). Typically, the device further comprises collimation optics (in Fig. The device comprises a substrate holder 6 (not shown) to focus the laser light emitted by the laser source 2 onto the DMD 3. The device further includes a substrate holder 6 for mounting a substrate 7 and a focusing optic 8 suitable for focusing each of the multiple laser beams 4 emitted by the DMD onto a substrate 7 mounted on the substrate holder. The focusing optic 8 can, for example, be a standard microscope optic with a high numerical aperture. The substrate holder 6 serves to support and preferably mount the substrate 7 and can be mounted on or as part of an XY stage.

[0052] In the Fig. In the example shown, the substrate 7 has a ceramic coating or a layer of a ceramic material 1, which is locally ablated using the focused laser beams 4. Fig. 1 The ceramic coating 1 is applied to the top of the substrate 7 (see also Fig. 2a). Alternatively, the ceramic coating can also be applied to a bottom or back side of the substrate 7, as shown in Fig. 2b shown. Since the laser beams 4 must penetrate the substrate 7 in this case, the substrate 7 material must be transparent to the wavelength of the laser light. Furthermore, it is preferred in this case that the substrate holder 6 has a frame 6a that supports only the outer edge of the substrate 7 (whereas in the case of ablation from above, as in 2b). Fig. 2a shown, can be fully supported). The part of the ceramic coating 1 that is exposed to ablation is therefore not supported, since there is a free space 6b under this part (see Fig. 2b).

[0053] This is a particularly preferred embodiment because the fragments produced during ablation are separated from the focusing optics 8 by the substrate 7. Instead, any material removed from the ceramic layer 1 is released into the free space 6b of the sample holder 6 and can be extracted or aspirated from there.

[0054] In this way, the focusing optics 8 are not affected by these fragments and it is much easier to clean the surface of the ceramic layer 1 immediately after or even during the recording.

[0055] Preferably, the thickness of the substrate is adapted to the focusing optics of the device used. For example, the thickness of the substrate should be less than the focal length of the focusing optics in order to achieve the ceramic coating.

[0056] Furthermore, the in Fig. The arrangement shown in Figure 2b also serves to cool the ceramic coating 1 during ablation, for example by allowing a cooling fluid to flow along the ceramic coating 1. This improves the accuracy of the ablation process, as heat transfer from the laser focus to the surrounding areas can be avoided. For example, a transverse jet of air (e.g., from an air scoop) or a liquid such as water or other immersion fluids can be provided for this purpose. This transverse jet can also carry away the fragments generated during ablation.

[0057] Such a crossbeam can also occur during the in Fig. The arrangement shown in Figure 2a is provided. However, in this embodiment, the transverse jet must be designed so that it does not impair the optics. For example, when using immersion optics, the immersion fluid can be supplied in a transverse flow, which is preferably laminar, to avoid optical effects due to turbulence within the immersion fluid.

[0058] Since such a cross jet of air or liquid can generate vibrations that may compromise recording accuracy, and since the use of a cross jet for the in Fig. Since the embodiment shown in 2a is cumbersome, a negatively charged grid or a negatively charged foil 15 is preferably used, as in the Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b shown. As explained above, a plasma is generated in the ceramic material to be ablated by using a picosecond or femtosecond laser. In simplified terms, parts of the atomic shells of the ceramic material are removed by interaction with the laser pulses. The remaining, positively charged atomic nuclei are then ejected in a so-called Coulomb explosion. These positively charged atomic nuclei can then be attracted to the negatively charged lattice or plate 15. This is particularly advantageous in the case of the Fig. In the embodiment shown in 2a, the laser beams 4 can pass through an opening in the grid or plate. All fragments are then captured by the charged grid or plate and thus cannot, for example, negatively affect the focusing optics 8.

[0059] Further details of another preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention are set out in Fig. 3 shown. Fig. Figure 3 shows, for example, the collimation optics 5 for collimating the laser light emitted from the laser source 2 onto the DMD 3, as well as other optical components such as a space filter 10, 11. The substrate holder 6 is, in the case of Fig. 3 an XY positioning system for moving the substrate 7 along the xy-plane (where z is perpendicular to the surface of the substrate 7). Both the DMD 3 and the XY positioning system 6 are controlled by a computer 13, which is configured to control the DMD 3 and the XY positioning system 6 to perform the following steps: selectively illuminating multiple areas within a first region of layer 1 of the ceramic material with the laser beam using the DMD 3, whereby the first region can be covered by the DMD 3; moving layer 1 of the ceramic material (i.e., the entire substrate 7 in this case) so that a second region, different from the first region, can be covered by the DMD 3; and selectively illuminating multiple areas within the second region of layer 1 of the ceramic material with the laser beam using the DMD 3.

[0060] As already mentioned, the device preferably includes a beam shaping device to generate, for example, Bessel beams. For instance, a matrix of laser zone plates 12 can be provided between the DMD 3 and the focusing optics 8 to focus each of the laser beams 4 (see Fig. 1) to convert into a Bessel beam shape. Each Bessel beam is then focused onto the substrate 7 using an associated lens (e.g., Fresnel lens) 8. To properly illuminate the matrix of the laser zone plates 12, additional collimation optics 14a and 14b can be provided. This principle is described in Fig. Figure 4 explains in more detail how (for a single beamlet) a Bessel beam is generated by a combination of an optical element 12a, which produces circularly polarized light, and a binary phase element 12b to generate a Bessel beam, which is then focused onto the substrate 7 with the aid of an associated lens 8 (or a Fresnel lens 8) with high NA. As also in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, a focus length of at least four times the wavelength of the laser light can be achieved with such a Bessel beam. Furthermore, the focus has a much more cylindrical shape than a Gaussian beam. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] PCT / EP2019 / 071805

[0002] PCT / EP2020 / 068892 [0002, 0015, 0016] US 4,069,487 [0003, 0012] US 4,556,893 [0003, 0007]

Claims

[1] Device for recording data in a layer of the ceramic material (1), the device comprising: a laser source (2) comprising a picosecond laser or a femtosecond laser; a digital micromirror device (3) that can emit multiple laser beams (4); a collimation optic for focusing the laser light emitted from the laser source onto the digital micromirror device (3); a substrate holder (6) for mounting a substrate (7); and a focusing optic (8) suitable for focusing each of the multiple laser beams (4) emitted by the digital micromirror device (3) onto a substrate (7) mounted on the substrate holder (6); wherein the fluence of each of the multiple laser beams (4) emitted by the digital micromirror device (3) is greater than 100 mJ / cm 2 is. [2] Device according to claim 1, wherein the focusing optics (8) comprises a lens with a high numerical aperture, preferably with a numerical aperture of at least 0.5, particularly preferably of at least 0.

8. [3] Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the device further comprises a beam shaping device, preferably a matrix of laser zone plates or a spatial light modulator. [4] Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the several laser beams on the substrate has a minimum focus diameter of no more than 1000 nm, preferably no more than 800 nm, preferably no more than 600 nm, preferably no more than 400 nm, preferably no more than 300 nm, particularly preferably no more than 200 nm, particularly preferably no more than 100 nm. [5] Device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a processor configured to control the digital micromirror device, and optionally an XY positioning system on which the substrate holder is mounted. [6] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wavelength of the laser source is less than 700 nm, preferably less than 650 nm. [7] Device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a negatively charged grid or a negatively charged foil (15) for collecting positively charged fragments. [8] Device according to claim 7, wherein the substrate holder (6) is arranged between the focusing optics (8) and the negatively charged grating or the negatively charged film (15). [9] Device according to claim 7, wherein the negatively charged grid or negatively charged film (15) is arranged between the focusing optics (8) and the substrate holder (6). [10] Device according to claim 9, wherein the negatively charged grid or negatively charged foil (15) has an opening through which the multiple laser beams (4) can pass.

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