Markets & Application Sectors

The Markets & Application Sectors section provides a brief and clear explanation of the key areas of application for laser technology. This section provides a concise overview of industries and application areas such as automotive engineering, battery manufacturing, microelectronics, medical technology, aerospace, hydrogen technologies, energy and nuclear fusion. It thus demonstrates the markets in which laser technology plays a key role today and the contributions it makes to innovation, efficiency and new production possibilities.

Automotive technology	Use of laser technology in vehicle production: welding, cutting, marking, lightweight construction.
Battery technology	Development and manufacturing of electrochemical energy storage for e-mobility, stationary storage and electronics. Laser processes are used along the entire process chain from cutting and structuring electrodes to welding housings and contacts through to quality assurance using laser measurement technology. Fraunhofer ILT researches these processes in its dedicated Battery Lab.
Battery Lab	Research laboratory of Fraunhofer ILT for optimizing laser-based processes in battery production; focus areas include energy density, capacity, charging time and manufacturing parameters of battery modules and cells.
Bioanalytics	Laser-based analysis of biological samples, e.g. via laser mass spectrometry or fluorescence microscopy; enables highly sensitive diagnostics and research.
Biofabrication	Laser-assisted manufacturing of biological structures, tissues and bioactive surfaces for medical and biotechnological applications; laser processes enable the precise positioning of cells, biomaterials and drug carriers in the micro- and nanometer range – the foundation for future therapies and personalized implants.
Biofunctionalization	Laser-based modification of surfaces to improve biological compatibility, e.g. by structuring implants for better cell growth and osseointegration.
Electrolysis	Electrochemical process for hydrogen production; laser processes optimize the manufacturing of electrodes, membranes and bipolar plates.
Electric motor manufacturing	Manufacturing of electric motors for e-vehicles; laser processes are used for hairpin welding, lamination stack processing and contacting.
E-mobility	Electric mobility systems; laser processes play an important role in battery and motor manufacturing.
Energy-efficient laser technologies	Laser-based manufacturing processes with optimized energy use; modern diode and fiber lasers achieve efficiencies of over 40 procent and replace energy-intensive conventional processes.
Energy industry	Use of laser-based processes along the entire energy industry value chain; Fraunhofer ILT researches laser processes for photovoltaic cells, batteries and solid-state batteries, fuel cells and electrolyzers for the hydrogen economy, as well as high-energy lasers for nuclear fusion.
Solid-state battery	Next-generation battery cell with a solid instead of liquid electrolyte; offers higher energy density, improved safety and more stable operation across a wider temperature and voltage range. Laser processes are critical for the precise processing of sensitive solid-state layers and scaling to industrial manufacturing volumes.
Green hydrogen	Hydrogen produced via laser-optimized electrolysis (e.g. PEM) using renewable energy or directly; laser processes improve the manufacturing of electrolyzer components.
Semiconductor	Electrically conductive materials with controllable properties; lasers are used in semiconductor manufacturing for lithography, dicing, drilling, cleaning and packaging.
Semiconductor manufacturing	Manufacturing of microchips and electronic components; lasers are used in lithography exposure (EUV), dicing, drilling and packaging.
High-energy laser	Laser sources with extremely high pulse energy, used for laser-induced inertial fusion (IFE) and materials research under extreme conditions.
Hydrogen Lab	Research laboratory of Fraunhofer ILT in Aachen with over 300 m² of test space; provides the complete laser-based process chain for manufacturing metallic bipolar plates and fuel cell components – unique in Germany.
Implant manufacturing	Manufacturing of medical implants (e.g. hip cups, dental implants) using laser-based additive manufacturing and surface structuring for improved biocompatibility.
Nuclear fusion	Umbrella term for the merging of light atomic nuclei for climate-neutral energy generation; encompasses two main approaches: magnetic confinement fusion, in which plasma is magnetically confined, and laser-induced inertial fusion, in which high-energy laser pulses compress and ignite a fuel target. Fraunhofer ILT develops high-energy lasers, optical systems and manufacturing technologies for both fusion approaches.
Copper welding / Copper laser welding	Laser welding of copper components, e.g. hairpins in electric motors or battery contacts; green and blue lasers offer decisive advantages due to higher absorption.
Laser-based manufacturing processes	Manufacturing processes in which laser radiation is used as the primary tool for ablation, joining, coating, measuring or structuring; considered enablers for flexible, resource-efficient production.
Laser surgery	Surgical procedures using focused laser radiation; enables precise cutting, coagulation and ablation of tissue with minimal trauma.
Laser welding of battery cells	Precise joining of battery housings, current collectors and contacts using laser; enables leak-tight, quality-assured joints at high production speeds.
Laser technology for production	Use of laser processes in industrial series production; lasers enable higher precision, shorter cycle times and new design freedoms compared to conventional manufacturing methods.
Laser therapy	Medical use of laser light for tissue treatment, e.g. in dermatology, ophthalmology and tumor therapy; wavelength and pulse shape are precisely matched to the target tissue.
Lightweight construction	Design and manufacturing principle for weight reduction while maintaining or improving functionality; laser processes are particularly important for joining and machining lightweight materials such as aluminium, titanium, CFRP and high-strength steels – particularly in the automotive and aerospace industries.
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)	Laser-based distance measurement and 3D sensing method; key sensor for autonomous driving, robotics and environmental perception.
Aerospace	Use of laser-based processes in the aerospace industry; Fraunhofer ILT covers the full spectrum – from LPBF and LMD for additive manufacturing and repair of complex engine and structural components, laser drilling of cooling holes in turbine blades, through to laser scanning and satellite-based measurement technology.
Magnetic confinement fusion	Nuclear fusion approach using magnetic plasma confinement (e.g. tokamak); Fraunhofer ILT laser processes provide manufacturing technology for high-performance components.
Medical technology	Use of laser-based processes along the entire medical technology value chain; Fraunhofer ILT conducts research into laser therapy and surgery, laser-based bioanalytics and diagnostics, additive manufacturing of implants and biofabrication of tissue structures.
Microelectronics	Use of laser-based processes in the manufacturing of microelectronic components and systems; Fraunhofer ILT covers key processes – from EUV-based lithography and wafer dicing, laser drilling and structuring, through to laser-based packaging and the manufacturing of additively produced sensor systems.
Modern laser systems for industry	Current generation of industrial laser sources and processing systems; combine high power, compact design, digital connectivity and AI-assisted process control for use in the smart factory.
Optical technologies for the energy sector	Use of laser-based and photonic processes in energy generation and storage; encompasses photovoltaics, batteries, fuel cells, hydrogen production and nuclear fusion.
PEM electrolysis	Proton exchange membrane electrolysis for producing green hydrogen.
Photovoltaics	Conversion of sunlight into electricity; laser processes optimize cell production.
Printed electronics	Manufacturing of electronic circuits using laser-based printing processes and structuring of conductive inks on flexible substrates.
Smart lighting / Laser lighting	Adaptive lighting systems based on laser technology, e.g. for automotive headlights; Fraunhofer ILT develops laser-based light modules with precise beam shaping.
Tissue engineering	Interdisciplinary research field for constructing living tissue structures from cells, biomaterials and growth factors for medical applications such as organ replacement and wound healing; laser processes enable high-precision structuring of scaffolds, gentle cell manipulation and layer-by-layer biofabrication in the micrometer range.
Inertial fusion energy (IFE) / Laser fusion	Nuclear fusion approach in which high-energy laser pulses rapidly compress and heat a fuel target (deuterium-tritium) to ignition conditions; considered a promising climate-neutral energy source of the future.
Turbine blades	Highly stressed components in energy and aerospace turbines; laser processes such as laser drilling (cooling holes) and laser cladding (repair) are industrially established here.
Wafer dicing	Laser separation of semiconductor wafers into individual chips; enables narrow kerfs and high yield compared to mechanical sawing techniques.
Hydrogen	Energy carrier of the future; Fraunhofer ILT develops laser-based manufacturing processes for fuel cells, electrolyzers and hydrogen components along the entire process chain.
Materials	Metals, plastics, ceramics, composites and biological materials processed using laser technology; the choice of wavelength and pulse parameters depends on the specific optical and thermal properties of the material.