Three-dimensional hole drilling of silica glass from the rear surface with femtosecond laser pulses

By moving silica glass in a preprogrammed structure, we directly produced three-dimensional holes with femtosecond laser pulses in single step. When distilled water was introduced into a hole drilled from the rear surface of the glass, the effects of blocking and redeposition of ablated material were greatly reduced and the aspect ratio of the depth of the hole was increased. Straight holes of 4-mum diameter were more than 200 mum deep. Three-dimensional channels can be micromachined inside transparent materials by use of this method, as we have demonstrated by drilling a square-wave-shaped hole inside silica glass. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.