PCBs (Printed circuit boards) have been widely used in electronic products such as wearables, smartphones, and table computers. Recent trends of miniaturizing electric components require improvement of component density and electronic functionality by decreasing the size of micro via holes (50-110 μm), which interconnect electric signals between adjacent layers in high density interconnection (HDI) PCBs. To generate micro via holes, we studied CO₂ laser drilling with the help of pulse shape controlling using acousto-optic modulator (AOM). Pulse shape controlling is one of the key factors to reduce heat effect during the laser drilling process. To increase laser absorption, the substrate was subjected to black oxidation prior to CO₂ laser drilling. We designed a diffractive optical system using a circular aperture. Micro via holes were obtained by optimizing the optical distance. The laser drilled via hole was studied both experimentally and theoretically.

Free fall safety brakes against accidental cable failure such as in elevators may require friction, wedging action, eddy current, and other effects. An ideal safety brake system should be quick in its deployment with sufficient payload capacity in compact dimensions. In this study, a safety braking system with a quick deployment mechanism is proposed. The mechanism housed in a carrier is suspended by the cable and connected to the payload. At the onset of cable failure, a linkage system is driven by a pre-loaded spring to drive terminal cutting tools tips against the sacrificial braking pads on each side of the vertical track. Experiments showed that large braking force may be achieved by a compact mechanism. Several design issues of linkage deployment, braking force control, and drop dynamics are discussed.

The mechanical drilling of micro holes is considered a difficult endeavor, due to the high hardness and brittleness of alumina plates found during the drilling process. In this work, an alumina plate with a 4mm thickness is drilled with the use of a continuous-wave Nd:YAG fiber laser. As can be seen, there is minimum required power density to ablate the alumina plate. As shown in this study, the hole diameter and straightness are not constant with the hole depth recorded, which is presumably due to the recondensation of vaporized alumina, and the characteristics of irregular laser radiation. The oxygen pressure, power density, focal position, and laser on time (duration) are chosen as the control parameters. To understand the influence of control parameters, the orthogonal arrays table in Taguchi method is applied, and the micro holes are evaluated based on the use of geometrical factors. Through the review of a sensitivity and interaction analysis, the appropriate duration and oxygen pressure are identified as the major parameters governing the geometrical quality of drilled holes in this study.