As part of a program to provide customer support in precision materials processing applications, Imra America Inc. has secured micromachining patent rights from the University of Michigan; both are located in Ann Arbor. Through the license agreement, Imra can extend the use of patented processes to end users and system integrators that purchase its laser products as part of a femtosecond-laser-based micromachining station or setup. The patent covers a method for producing micron-scale features in a variety of materials without inducing thermal damage to surrounding material, using ultrashort laser pulses.