Smartphones thanks to the laser

A modern smartphone is a very dense package of optics and microelectronics. This requires very precise and delicate manufacturing steps. Lasers are key to the solution.

Cutting, drilling, marking, annealing and lift-off are laser pro­cesses used today to manufacture displays, housings, batteries, circuit boards and many other parts of a mobile device.

Housing
A modern smartphone case is in most cases made of metal alloys. It is a complex part and requires several openings that are cut with a laser. The housing is laser marked and coded.

Circuit board
In circuit-board manufacturing, lasers are used for microhole drilling, cutting and dicing. The integrated circuits are manufactured by laser photolithography and laser dicing.

Battery
In a modern smartphone, battery life is a very important factor that can be increased by enlarging the active battery surfaces. Laser surface structuring is a common method to do this.

Screen
Modern low-temperature poly-silicon screens require a laser annealing process. Ultraviolet lasers are best suited to achieve the required performance. Laser lift-off is the preferred process for flexible displays, where the entire display stack is released from the glass plate required for production.

Touchscreen
The front panel of a smartphone is an extremely thin sheet of glass with well-defined holes or notches. Lasers are able to cut this type of glass without damage or cracking.

In a nutshell: Photonics plays a paramount role in their manufacture and use of smartphones today.

A very warm thank you to all the companies and institutes that made this publication possible.

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