Carbon‐Dioxide Laser Beam Polishing of Fused Silica Surfaces – Process Development and Optimization

The aim of laser beam polishing (LBP) is to achieve an even surface finish in shortest possible time without changing the contour. Laser radiation acts as a topology‐independent non‐wearing, massless tool for powerless manufacturing, where parameters can be changed rapidly. Combined with a laser scanning system flexibility and speed can be improved with a high accessibility toward the surface. The locally limited heat‐affected zone can be disadvantageous for glass‐manufacturing in that it leads to thermal strain and destruction in extreme cases. The traditional mechanical finishing of fused silica contains some restrictions like a high grade of pre‐machining and the dimensions of the polishing tools, which confine the minimum size of the structures to be polished.