Pressure CO2 Laser Research Articles

88‐2: The Characteristics Analysis for Laser Cutting Process of Multilayers Display Panels

In this study, we analyzed the laser cutting characteristics of pulse transverse electrical discharge in gas at atmospheric pressure (TEA) CO2 and ultraviolet (UV) pulse laser processing in a multilayer display panels. First, the numerical calculation for was performed to confirm the thermal characteristics of each materials and optical field distribution at the interface of different material layers. Also, processing characteristics were experimentally confirmed by measuring cutting profile and adhesion characteristics of layer interface. Experimental results show that the characteristics of multi layers polymer cutting have different trend from those in a single‐layer because of the optical and thermal properties of each layer. In particular, the interface of layers had a substantial affect due to optical field distributions and thermal characteristic difference. Also, the optical absorbance of layers affect adhesion at the interface. The result suggests proper processing condition to enhance the laser ablation processing quality of multilayer display panel. In conclusion, understanding the characteristics of multilayer laser cutting processing is important for determining the optimal conditions for display panel micromachining and enhancing the quality of laser cutting for the cutting edge technology.

Laboratory tests of CO2 laser collective Thomson scattering for measurements of ion temperature in the divertor.

Collective Thomson scattering (CTS) is a diagnostic method that measures the ion velocity distribution of a plasma. CO2 laser CTS measurements are challenging because of the inherently small Doppler broadening and scattering signals that are difficult to detect. We implemented a heterodyne detection scheme to measure spectrum changes of less than a GHz. To maximize the collected light at small scattering angles, we designed a unique light collection approach consisting of a customized conical-shaped (axicon) lens with a hole in the center. The axicon lens is used to collect the scattered light emitted within an annular cross-section from the scattering volume while the probe beam is passed through the hole at the center of the lens. The performance of the heterodyne detection scheme and annular collection approach was demonstrated using a Transverse Excited Atmospheric pressure CO2 laser with a pulse energy of 160 mJ at λ = 10.59 µm.

Correlation between Shock Wave-induced Indentations and Tensile Strength

Cost-efficient and high-throughput material development processes and process chains are needed to meet the on-going demand for new metallic structural materials. Material development involves not only the processing of new material compositions, but also the material characterization. Hence, novel high-throughput screening methods are a promising approach to identify new beneficial material compositions. These methods do not aim to understand the mechanisms of new material compositions. Instead, these methods offer descriptive values, which are correlated with material properties. Here, an indentation method is presented, which is based on laser-induced shock waves. With a high intensity pulsed transversely excited atmospheric-pressure CO2 laser, a shock wave is induced on top of an indenter. The impulse of the shock wave pushes the indenter inside a test material. The created indentations correlate highly with the material hardness measured by conventional techniques. In this study, different descriptive values are extracted and analyzed with respect to the material’s tensile strength (determined with standard tensile tests). Indentations were created in aluminum samples (alloy EN AW-6082), which were heat-treated in different ways. The strongest correlation has been found between the tensile strength and the sink-in and pile-up height instead of the indentation depth or diameter.

High-voltage pulse generators for effective pumping of super-atmospheric pressure CO2-lasers

This work is devoted to describing of constructions and main characteristics of some types compact pulse generators with amplitude of voltage pulses up to 200 kV, rise-times about 10 ns and pulse energy per pulse up to 20 J. For reduction of rise-time of high-voltage pulses were used spark-discharge two electrodes commutators (sharpeners) at working pressures up to 100 atm.

Alternative analytical method for direct determination of Mn and Ba in peppermint tea based on laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

In this study, analytical capability of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) system based on Transversely Excited Atmospheric pressure (TEA) CO2 laser for determination of elemental composition of tea samples was demonstrated. Analysis of LIBS spectra indicated emission lines attributed to the elements Fe, Mg, Cu, Ca, Al, Mn, Ba, P, K and Sr. For quantitative analysis of Mn and Ba, a standard addition method was employed. Linear calibration curves with regression coefficients exceeding 0.95 were obtained. The accuracy of LIBS results was confirmed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) analysis. Calculated recoveries for Ba and Mn were 99.7 and 102.3%, respectively. The results presented confirm the suitability of the proposed LIBS setup for rapid quantitative analysis of tea, while at the same time simplifying the overall analytical procedure. This approach can be easily used as a helpful analytical tool for food quality and safety control.

Spectrochemical analysis of powdered biological samples using transversely excited atmospheric carbon dioxide laser plasma excitation

The aim of this study was to develop a simple laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) method for quantitative elemental analysis of powdered biological materials based on laboratory prepared calibration samples. The analysis was done using ungated single pulse LIBS in ambient air at atmospheric pressure. Transversely-Excited Atmospheric pressure (TEA) CO2 laser was used as an energy source for plasma generation on samples. The material used for the analysis was a blue-green alga Spirulina, widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries and also in a few biotechnological applications. To demonstrate the analytical potential of this particular LIBS system the obtained spectra were compared to the spectra obtained using a commercial LIBS system based on pulsed Nd:YAG laser. A single sample of known concentration was used to estimate detection limits for Ba, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Si and Sr and compare detection power of these two LIBS systems. TEA CO2 laser based LIBS was also applied for quantitative analysis of the elements in powder Spirulina samples. Analytical curves for Ba, Fe, Mg, Mn and Sr were constructed using laboratory produced matrix-matched calibration samples. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used as the reference technique for elemental quantification, and reasonably well agreement between ICP and LIBS data was obtained. Results confirm that, in respect to its sensitivity and precision, TEA CO2 laser based LIBS can be successfully applied for quantitative analysis of macro and micro-elements in algal samples. The fact that nearly all classes of materials can be prepared as powders implies that the proposed method could be easily extended to a quantitative analysis of different kinds of materials, organic, biological or inorganic.

TEA CO2 laser machining of CFRP composite

Carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites have found wide applications in the aerospace, marine, sports and automotive industries owing to their lightweight and acceptable mechanical properties compared to the commonly used metallic materials. Machining of CFRP composites using lasers can be challenging due to inhomogeneity in the material properties and structures, which can lead to thermal damages during laser processing. In the previous studies, Nd:YAG, diode-pumped solid-state, CO2 (continuous wave), disc and fibre lasers were used in cutting CFRP composites and the control of damages such as the size of heat-affected zones (HAZs) remains a challenge. In this paper, a short-pulsed (8 μs) transversely excited atmospheric pressure CO2 laser was used, for the first time, to machine CFRP composites. The laser has high peak powers (up to 250 kW) and excellent absorption by both the carbon fibre and the epoxy binder. Design of experiment and statistical modelling, based on response surface methodology, was used to understand the interactions between the process parameters such as laser fluence, repetition rate and cutting speed and their effects on the cut quality characteristics including size of HAZ, machining depth and material removal rate (MRR). Based on this study, process parameter optimization was carried out to minimize the HAZ and maximize the MRR. A discussion is given on the potential applications and comparisons to other lasers in machining CFRP.

Emission Characteristics of Ca and Mg Atoms in Gas Plasma Induced by the Bombardment of Transversely Excited Atmospheric CO2 Laser at 1 atm

To study the mechanism of atomic excitation in gas plasma, a transversely excited atmospheric pressure (TEA) CO2 laser (750 mJ, 200 ns) was focused on a metal subtarget through a hole (2 mm in diameter) produced in a glass slide sample (1.5 mm in thickness); the glass slide sample was placed in close contact with a nickel metal plate, which functions as the metal subtarget. It was demonstrated that a strong gas plasma can be induced in various gases including He, N2, and CO2 and that plasma can be employed as the excitation source for spectrochemical analysis. It has been proved that, in He gas plasma, strong Ca ionic emissions (Ca II 393.3 nm and Ca II 373.7 nm) with a long lifetime can be observed regardless of excitation energy. On the other hand, in N2 and CO2 gases, the emissions are very weak and have a short lifetime. We assumed that, in He gas plasma, He metastable atoms play significant role in excitation. In the case of the Ca atom, the double ionization of Ca (Ca2+) is directly induced when a Ca atom collides with He metastable atoms through the Penning effect. The ion produced then recombines with an electron to produce an ionic excitation state, from which ionic emission is induced. In neutral Ca and Mg emissions, unique emission characteristics were observed in the He gas plasma case, namely, the triplet state is the main product and the singlet state is a minor product. This result can be explained by our proposed model.

Design of a New Diffractive Optical Element for Flattening the Gaussian High-Repetition-Rate Transversely Excited Atmospheric-Pressure CO2 Laser Beam Using an Iterative Angular Spectrum Algorithm through MATLAB

The editorial board announced this article has been retracted on December 21, 2012. If you have any further question, please contact us at: mas@ccsenet.org Article Title: Design of a New Diffractive Optical Element for Flattening the Gaussian High-Repetition-Rate Transversely Excited Atmospheric-Pressure CO2 Laser Beam Using an Iterative Angular Spectrum Algorithm through MATLAB Author/s: Alireza Heidari, Mehrnoosh Zeinalkhani, Abolhasan Nabatchian, Mohammad Amin Zare Soltani, Tahere Godarzvand Chegini, Mohammadreza Seifi Aghdam Malakabad & Mohammadali Ghorbani Journal Title: Modern Applied Science ISSN 1913-1844 (Print) E-ISSN 1913-1852 Volume and Number: Vol. 6, No. 5, 2012 Pages: 82-90 DOI: 10.5539/mas.v6n5p82 Mr. Mohammadali Ghorbani (Corresponding Author) formally apologizes to his dear and respected colleagues and journal editorial board. He gave deceiving them and got abuse their names, brilliant academic records, and reputations. His dear and respected colleagues have no knowledge or fault. He is a legal and moral responsibility to get this problem.

Excitation Mechanism of H, He, C, and F Atoms in Metal-Assisted Atmospheric Helium Gas Plasma Induced by Transversely Excited Atmospheric-Pressure CO2 Laser Bombardment

To clarify the excitation mechanism of hydrogen in transversely excited atmospheric-pressure (TEA) CO2 laser-induced helium gas plasma, atomic emission characteristics of H, C, F, and He were studied using a Teflon sheet (thickness of 2 mm) attached to a metal subtarget. The TEA CO2 laser (750 mJ, 200 ns) was focused on the Teflon sheet in the surrounding He gas at 1 atm. Atomic emissions of H, C, F, and He occurred with a long lifetime, a narrow spectrum width, and a low-background spectrum. The correlation emission intensity curves of H–He and F–He indicated a parabolic functions. To explain the emission characteristics, we offered a model in which helium metastable atoms (He*) play an important role in the excitation processes; namely, atoms collide with helium metastable atoms (He*) to be ionized by the Penning effect, and then recombine with electrons to produce excited states, from which atomic emissions occur.

High-speed analog fiber-optic link for electromagnetic interference suppression in infrared power measurement

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a common problem in a high-power pulsed infrared laser measurement. In order to eliminate susceptibility to radiated EMI, we developed, tested and implemented an infrared power measurement system using a high-speed analog fiber-optic link. Key components are commercially available parts designed for high-speed digital data transmission, but can be operated in analog mode. We successfully utilized the system for time-resolved measurements of high-power transversely-excited atmospheric-pressure CO(2) lasers in amplifier and oscillator configurations. This paper presents experimental setup, testing results, and the details of the laser power measurements results.

Effects of laser energy density on impulse coupling coefficient of laser ablation of water for propulsion

Time-resolved force sensing and intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) imaging techniques were applied to the study of the effects of laser energy density on impulse coupling coefficient of laser ablation of water for propulsion. A Transversely Excited at Atmospheric pressure (TEA) CO2 laser operated at 10.6 μm, 30 J pulse energy was used to ablate water contained in a quadrate quartz container. Net imparted impulse and coupling coefficients were derived from the force sensor data and relevant results were presented for various laser energy densities. ICCD imaging was used in conjunction with the dynamic force techniques to examine the dependencies on laser energy density. Results showed that the impulse coupling coefficient could reach a maximum value when laser energy density was about 105 J/m2, and it would increase before laser energy got to this point and would decrease after this point, and ICCD imaging supplied important phenomenon to explain this variation, which were water ablation before laser energy density got to 105 J/m2 and laser-induced air-breakdown with water as an induction when laser energy density was higher than 105 J/m2.

Comparison of Theory and Experiment in an Electron-Beam-Controlled High-Power TEA $\hbox{CO}_{2}$ Laser

In this paper, a theoretical model for the analysis of effective-discharge parameters in a high-power transversely excited atmospheric pressure CO2 laser with an electron beam preionization system is presented. The laser-discharge active volume and electron gun are modeled by nonlinear time-varying impedance. The lumped linear RLC circuits approximate the Marx generator and sustainer bank systems. By this method, the governing equations are reduced to a system of nonlinear time-varying ordinary differential equations that are solved numerically. Based on these equations, the electron beam and the main discharge parameters are evaluated. Our theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Infrared Multiple Photon Dissociation of Chloromethyltrifluorosilane

Infrared multiphoton absorption and dissociation of chloromethyltrifluorosilane molecules under the action of pulsed transversely excited atmospheric pressure CO2 laser were experimentally studied. Dissociation products were analyzed. The dissociation proceeds via chlorine atom transfer from carbon to silicone. High degrees of silicon isotope separation were achieved. The presence of alpha-chlorine atom in a silicon organic compound brings about a significant improvement in multiple photon dissociation characteristics and an essential increase in isotopic selectivity.

New Method of Laser Plasma Spectroscopy for Metal Samples Using Metastable He Atoms Induced by Transversely Excited Atmospheric-Pressure CO2 Laser in He Gas at 1 atm

A high-power transversely excited atmospheric-pressure (TEA) CO2 laser (600–1500 mJ) was focused on a metal target in surrounding He gas at 1 atm to produce strong He gas breakdown plasma, while leaving the metal surface undamaged, and a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (60–90 mJ) was also simultaneously focused on the metal surface to be ablated at a slightly shifted spot position with various delay times (0–150 µs) relative to the TEA CO2 laser. It was concluded that the ablated atoms from the metal sample enter the He gas plasma region and are excited by metastable He atoms, which are produced in very large quantities in the He gas plasma region. Due to the fact that He gas plasma works as an exciting source with a very long lifetime (about 100 µs), the detected atomic emission lines are very narrow in spectral width with a very low background spectrum, and also the atomic emission spectrum profile does not follow the Boltzmann distribution during the long emission life. We call this new method LIPS-He*. This new method has high potential for realizing in situ high-sensitivity analysis.

Basic Study of Morphological Changes and Surface Roughness of Cavities Prepared by TEA CO2Laser Irradiation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the morphological change of dental hard tissue and surface roughness of cavities prepared by transversely excited, atmospheric pressure (TEA) CO2 laser irradiation. It has been reported that dental hard tissues and bone can be removed by a long-pulse of TEA CO2 laser irradiation with minimal thermal damage. However, there are few reports on the surface roughness of lased teeth. The TEA CO2 laser was irradiated on the enamel and dentin surfaces of extracted human teeth under the following conditions: wavelength, 10.6 microm; output, 95 mJ/pulse; pulse repetition rate, 1 Hz; irradiation time, 7.5 microsec/shot; and energy density, 7.9 J/cm2. Morphological studies were performed by histological and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination. Surface roughness of prepared cavities was measured by three-dimensional laser microscopy. Irradiated dentin produced a deeper defect (705 +/- 11 microm) than the enamel (501 +/- 10 microm). Histological appearance showed a basophilic line at the margin of lased dentin. SEM observation noted that the surfaces of the enamel cavity seem to be melted, and dentinal tubules were sealed. The surface roughness of the enamel cavity wall and dentin floor were 175 +/- 5 microm and 170 +/- 6 microm, respectively. These findings suggest that it is possible to remove carious dental hard tissue or cavity preparation with the TEA CO2 laser irradiation. Lased dental hard tissue can facilitate caries prevention, and surface roughness of the cavities might improve the bond strength of restorative dental materials.

Rapid and conservative ablation and modification of enamel, dentin, and alveolar bone using a high repetition rate transverse excited atmospheric pressure CO[sub 2] laser operating at λ=9.3 μm

Transverse excited atmospheric pressure (TEA) CO(2) lasers tuned to the strong mineral absorption of hydroxyapatite near lambda=9 microm are well suited for the efficient ablation of dental hard tissues if the laser pulse is stretched to greater than 5 to 10 micros to avoid plasma shielding phenomena. Such CO(2) lasers are capable of operating at high repetition rates for the rapid removal of dental hard tissues. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that stretched lambda=9.3-microA CO(2) laser pulses can produce lateral incisions in enamel, dentin, and alveolar bone for dental restorations and implants at repetition rates as high as 400 Hz without peripheral thermal damage. The single pulse ablation rates through enamel, dentin, and bone were determined for incident fluence ranging from (1 to 160 J/m(2)) for laser pulses from 5 to 18 mus in duration. Lateral incisions were produced in hard tissue samples using a computer-controlled scanning stage and water spray, and the crater morphology and chemical composition were measured using optical microscopy and high-resolution synchrotron radiation infrared spectromicroscopy. The residual energy remaining in tooth samples was measured to be 30 to 40% for enamel and 20 to 30% for dentin without water cooling, under optimum irradiation intensities, significantly lower than for longer CO(2) laser pulses. The transmission through 2-m length 300-, 500-, 750-, and 1000-microm silica hollow waveguides was measured and 80% transmission was achieved with 40 mJ per pulse. These results suggest that high repetition rate TEA CO(2) laser systems operating at lambda=9.3 microm with pulse durations of 10 to 20 micros are well suited for dental applications.

Deuterium Emission in Laser Plasma Induced by Transversely Excited Atmospheric Pressure CO2 Laser in Low-Pressure of Helium Surrounding Gas

A transversely excited atmospheric pressure (TEA) CO2 laser was focused on samples containing hydrogen of high concentration in ambient gas of low pressure. The optimum conditions for reducing the spectral width of Hα emission have been investigated. As a result, it was found that a film sample is superior to a bulk sample, and He gas should be used as the ambient gas at approximately 1 Torr, and for spectral measurement, only the front area of the plasma should be selected. We successfully demonstrated the detection of Dα emission, of which peak shifts only 0.179 nm from the Hα emission, by employing a D2O liquid film sandwiched between a Cu plate and a thin plastic wrapping film.

Pulpal safety of 9.6 microm TEA CO2 laser used for caries prevention.

Lasers are used for several procedures involving hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity. A potential future application is the use of the CO2 laser to alter the surface structure of tooth enamel to render it more resistant to caries. A new 9.6 microm wavelength transverse excited atmospheric pressure (TEA) CO2 laser (Argus Photonics, Jupiter, FL) has been investigated as a device that can be used for this purpose without harming the dental pulp. Erupted caries- and restoration-free third molars (n = 24 participants; 74 teeth) were used in the study. Teeth were irradiated at an incident fluence of 1.5 J/cm2, a repetition rate of 10 Hz and a spot size 1 mm in diameter. At the low and high settings, 200-400 pulses at 5-8 microseconds pulse duration were delivered at 12 mJ per pulse for a total energy of 2.4 or 4.8 J delivered for 20 or 40 seconds, respectively. Other teeth were subjected to a sham dental procedure (positive control) or no procedure (negative control). Prior to testing, radiographs were taken of all teeth, and they were assessed pulpally using heat, cold, and electricity to determine vitality. The teeth were removed either immediately or at 1 week or 1 month after testing. Teeth were bioprepared and examined histologically for signs of inflammation. Only one tooth developed symptoms of sensitivity to cold for 10 days following exposure to the high power level. The sensitivity was of fleeting duration and was judged to be reversible pulpitis. All teeth tested responded normally at pre-testing and pre-extraction time periods. Histological examination of all teeth disclosed no indication of an inflammatory response in the pulp tissue at any time point. All sections appeared normal with no changes seen in the normal pulpal morphology. We conclude that the 9.6 microm wavelength laser causes no permanent/serious pulpal damage at the energy levels used and can be used safely for caries prevention treatments in humans.

Atmospheric-pressure CO2 laser with an electron-beam-initiated discharge produced in a working mixture

An atmospheric-pressure CO2 laser with an electron-beam-initiated discharge produced in a working mixture is developed. The laser output energy of 18 mJ from a ~6-cm3 active volume is achieved. The laser operation with a pulse repetition rate of up to 5 Hz is demonstrated. The specific energy deposit of ~0.1 J cm-3 is obtained in the CO2:N2:He = 1:1:4 gas mixture at the atmospheric pressure during a pulsed nonself-sustained discharge with ionisation amplification.