Book excerpt: Micro and Nanoscale Laser Processing of Hard Brittle Materials examines general laser-material interactions within this type of material, focusing on the nanoprocessing technologies that these phenomena have given rise to. Sections cover laser machining, healing, recovery, sintering, surface modification, texturing and microstructuring. These technologies all benefit from the characteristics of laser processing, its highly localized heating ability, and its well-defined optical properties. The book also describes frontier applications of the developed technologies, thus further emphasizing the possibility of processing hard brittle materials into complex structures with functional surfaces at both the micro and nanoscale. Provides readers with a solid understanding of laser-material interactions Helps readers choose suitable laser parameters for processing hard brittle materials Demonstrates how micro and nanoscale laser processing can be used to machine brittle materials without fracture