The FEL's role in next-generation process technology

The last 25 years have seen FEL science progress rapidly to the point where several user facilities exist world-wide. Continuing rapid progress will depend on access to a growing stream of resources which must be obtained in a highly competitive environment. The best opportunity will come if the FEL can also become an important component of advanced processing technology. Analyzing research results obtained with other lasers in terms of broad themes points especially to opportunities in precision materials removal, where no other light source has prospect of matching what the FEL can do. A point that also emerges is that advanced processing applications need to be viewed in terms of all aspects, not just the laser. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.