Example of processing a die assumed to be a die for fuel-cell separators. The die not only uses a difficult-to-cut material such as hard metal, but also features intricately shaped channels for gas flow formed on it. For this reason, it was difficult for conventional processing machines to perform high-precision processing.

The following shows the results of processing performed by Nikon's laser processing machine. With this machine, we have achieved extremely high precision (mean processing error: 1.3 μm) over a wide range of surface shapes that are very difficult to process, namely smooth channel limiting shapes and tapered shapes to promote gas diffusion.

These are examples of fine shape processing on an alumina substrate, a ceramic material. Ceramics are used for parts such as air bearings and electrostatic/vacuum chucks used with precision machines like semiconductor lithography systems and FPD manufacturing equipment. Machining and blasting or other similar methods have been commonly used to process those parts, but the need for more precise processing and shorter processing time is growing nowadays.

Ceramics are hard and brittle materials, making it difficult to perform high-precision processing. However, at high processing precision from the micron to submicron levels Nikon's laser processing machine has successfully performed common flat-surface processing, processing of grooves assuming those for ceramic air bearings and semiconductor wafer chucks, and fine pin processing.

These are examples of fine shape processing on an insert blade tip made of nano-polycrystalline diamond, assuming the addition of chip-breakers to improve chip treatment performance. Because nano-polycrystalline diamond is a high hardness material and an insulator, limited methos are available to process it and it is known as one of the most difficult diamond materials to process.

The following shows the results of processing performed by Nikon's laser processing machine. It has achieved fine shape processing with extremely high precision (mean processing error: 4 μm). Notably, it can perform high-precision processing at micron-level precision even on nano-polycrystalline diamond, which is difficult to cut and apply electric-discharge machining to.