A method of fabricating an optical element comprises: providing a substrate of a transparent material; applying a plurality of circularly polarised focused femtosecond laser pulses to a volume within the substrate to create substantially spherical nanopores in the volume; and applying at least one and not more than ten non-circularly polarised focused femtosecond laser pulses to the volume to transform the spherical nanopores into oblate spheroidal nanopores.

A method of fabricating an optical element comprises: providing a substrate of a transparent material; applying a plurality of circularly polarised focused femtosecond laser pulses to a volume within the substrate to create substantially spherical nanopores in the volume; and applying at least one and not more than ten non-circularly polarised focused femtosecond laser pulses to the volume to transform the spherical nanopores into oblate spheroidal nanopores.

A substrate comprising: (i) a first series of blind vias into a thickness of a substrate and open to a first primary surface; and (ii) a second series of blind vias into the thickness of a substrate and open to a second primary surface. Each blind via includes an interior wall. The interior wall includes a first tapered region and a second tapered region. The first tapered region and the second tapered region have a distinct slope. Each of the blind vias of the second series of blind vias is coaxial with a different blind via of the first series of blind vias. Each blind via of the first series of blind vias has a depth that deviates from a mean depth by less than +/−10%. Each blind via of the second series of blind vias has a depth that deviates from a mean depth by less than +/−10%.

A substrate comprising: (i) a first series of blind vias into a thickness of a substrate and open to a first primary surface; and (ii) a second series of blind vias into the thickness of a substrate and open to a second primary surface. Each blind via includes an interior wall. The interior wall includes a first tapered region and a second tapered region. The first tapered region and the second tapered region have a distinct slope. Each of the blind vias of the second series of blind vias is coaxial with a different blind via of the first series of blind vias. Each blind via of the first series of blind vias has a depth that deviates from a mean depth by less than +/−10%. Each blind via of the second series of blind vias has a depth that deviates from a mean depth by less than +/−10%.

The present disclosure discloses a method and apparatus for manufacturing a microfluidic chip with a femtosecond plasma grating. The method is characterized in that two or more beams of femtosecond pulse laser act on quartz glass together at a certain included angle and converge in the quartz glass, and when pulses achieve synchronization in time domain, the two optical pulses interfere; Benefited by constraint of an interference field, only one optical filament is formed in one interference period; and numbers of optical filaments are arranged equidistantly in space to form the plasma grating. The apparatus for manufacturing the microfluidic chip includes a plasma grating optical path, a microchannel processing platform, and a hydrofluoric acid ultrasonic cell.

Forming holes in a material includes focusing a pulsed laser beam into a laser beam focal line oriented along the beam propagation direction and directed into the material, the laser beam focal line generating an induced absorption within the material, the induced absorption producing a defect line along the laser beam focal line within the material, and translating the material and the laser beam relative to each other, thereby forming a plurality of defect lines in the material, and etching the material in an acid solution to produce holes greater than 1 micron in diameter by enlarging the defect lines in the material. A glass article includes a stack of glass substrates with formed holes of 1-100 micron diameter extending through the stack.

Forming holes in a material includes focusing a pulsed laser beam into a laser beam focal line oriented along the beam propagation direction and directed into the material, the laser beam focal line generating an induced absorption within the material, the induced absorption producing a defect line along the laser beam focal line within the material, and translating the material and the laser beam relative to each other, thereby forming a plurality of defect lines in the material, and etching the material in an acid solution to produce holes greater than 1 micron in diameter by enlarging the defect lines in the material. A glass article includes a stack of glass substrates with formed holes of 1-100 micron diameter extending through the stack.

Silica-containing substrates including vias with a narrow waist, electronic devices incorporating a silica-containing substrate, and methods of forming vias with narrow waist in silica-containing substrates are disclosed. In one embodiment, an article includes a silica-containing substrate including greater than or equal to 85 mol % silica, a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a via extending through the silica-containing substrate from the first surface toward the second surface. The via includes a first diameter at the first surface wherein the first diameter is less than or equal to 100 μm, a second diameter at the second surface wherein the first diameter is less than or equal to 100 μm, and a via waist between the first surface and the second surface. The via waist has a waist diameter that is less than the first diameter and the second diameter such that a ratio between the waist diameter and each of the first diameter and the second diameter is less than or equal to 75%.

Silica-containing substrates including vias with a narrow waist, electronic devices incorporating a silica-containing substrate, and methods of forming vias with narrow waist in silica-containing substrates are disclosed. In one embodiment, an article includes a silica-containing substrate including greater than or equal to 85 mol % silica, a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a via extending through the silica-containing substrate from the first surface toward the second surface. The via includes a first diameter at the first surface wherein the first diameter is less than or equal to 100 μm, a second diameter at the second surface wherein the first diameter is less than or equal to 100 μm, and a via waist between the first surface and the second surface. The via waist has a waist diameter that is less than the first diameter and the second diameter such that a ratio between the waist diameter and each of the first diameter and the second diameter is less than or equal to 75%.

Silica-containing substrates including vias with a narrow waist, electronic devices incorporating a silica-containing substrate, and methods of forming vias with narrow waist in silica-containing substrates are disclosed. In one embodiment, an article includes a silica-containing substrate including greater than or equal to 85 mol % silica, a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a via extending through the silica-containing substrate from the first surface toward the second surface. The via includes a first diameter at the first surface wherein the first diameter is less than or equal to 100 μm, a second diameter at the second surface wherein the first diameter is less than or equal to 100 μm, and a via waist between the first surface and the second surface. The via waist has a waist diameter that is less than the first diameter and the second diameter such that a ratio between the waist diameter and each of the first diameter and the second diameter is less than or equal to 75%.