Ultrashort Pulse Laser Machining Research Articles

A six degrees of freedom femtosecond laser system for fabrication of small-scale mechanical property specimens.

We present the details of a novel ultra-short pulsed laser machining workstation that has been employed for high-throughput laser machining of small-scale mechanical property specimens. This system employs a six degrees of freedom hexapod positioning stage capable of macroscopic movements at high positional accuracy. We developed a methodology that uses quantitative image analysis to measure key parameters required to minimize the hexapod positioning and rotational error. Application of this system to laser machining of small-scale 316L stainless steel tensile specimens and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene compressive specimens using eucentric tilt and rotation about the specimen axis will be shown, where serial laser milling at a specimen tilt angle of 10° was used to effectively eliminate any taper in the sample cross section that is typically found in laser machining.

Revealing Subsurface Damage Morphology and Patterns in areal Ultrashort Pulse Laser Machining of Glass

Material removal rates as well as surface and subsurface quality are key aspects for the industrial application of ultrashort pulse (USP) laser machining. However, revealing so-called subsurface damage (SSD) is challenging. The presented study visualizes and quantifies subsurface damage patterns in areal USP laser ablation of fused silica (FS) and glass N-BK7 (BK). For the first time, using high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) as non-destructive and three-dimensional (3D) evaluation method, SSD morphologies of areal laser machining induced damages are analysed. Influences of laser wavelength, beam geometry and processed material are investigated. Discovered differences of damage morphologies and depth in FS and BK point out the relevance of selecting suitable process parameters. Based on the evaluation of volumetric OCT data, the authors were able to quantify damage morphologies using the surface texture ratio as well as power spectral density functions. One important finding for the quantification and comparability of damage depths in USP laser processing is the influence of applicable evaluation thresholds. In comparison to area thresholds of 0.001% being applicable to OCT measurements, more lenient thresholds of e.g. 1% commonly applied in destructive SSD measurement methods in average result in a reduction of measured damage depths by a factor of ~ 2. This potentially leads to an underestimation of damage depths depending on methods on thresholds used. The presented measurement and evaluation methods as well as gained process insights are important assets for the future optimization of low-damage USP laser micromachining of brittle materials. Moreover, the general applicability and relevance of OCT-based morphological damage analysis in laser material processing is shown.

Automated, real-time material detection during ultrashort pulsed laser machining using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, for process tuning, end-pointing, and segmentation.

The rapid, high-resolution material processing offered by ultrashort pulsed lasers enables a wide range of micro and nanomachining applications in a variety of disciplines. Complex laser processing jobs conducted on composite samples, require an awareness of the material type that is interacting with laser both for adjustment of the lasering process and for endpointing. This calls for real-time detection of the materials. Several methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS) can be used for material characterization. However, these methods often need interruption of the machining process to transfer the sample to another instrument for inspection. Such interruption significantly increases the required time and effort for the machining task, acting as a prohibitive factor for many laser machining applications. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a powerful technique that can be used for material characterization, by analyzing a signal that is generated upon the interaction of laser with matter, and thus, it can be considered as a strong candidate for developing an in-situ characterization method. In this work, we propose a method that uses LIBS in a feedback loop system for real time detection and decision making for adjustment of the lasering process on-the-fly. Further, use of LIBS for automated material segmentation, in the 3D image resulting from consecutive lasering and imaging steps, is showcased.

Polarization effects on Laser-Inscribed angled Micro-Structures

The polarization of the laser beam exhibits more substantial differences in laser micromachining as the angle of incidence deviates from zero. In the reported work, our focus was to explore the effects of circularly, p- and s-polarized laser on angled ultrashort pulse laser micromachining of micropillar arrays. The examination encompassed laser process factors, including angles of incidence, microstructure dimensions, and inter-pillar spacing. A comparison between the resulting structures demonstrated that p-polarized laser beam was the most efficient in material removal in angled laser micromachining, followed by circularly polarized laser. While the s-polarized beam exhibited the lowest ablation efficiency among the three. Such distinction is mainly attributed to the distinguishing reflectivity of the three states of polarization on tilted planes. The development of structural heights during ablation processes was examined, and potential defects in laser processing methodologies were interpreted. The dependency of structural heights on inter-pillar spacing was analyzed. This study bridges the gap between existing studies on angled ultrashort pulse laser machining and the influences of polarization on laser machining. The comparison between structures produced using laboratory-scale and industrial-scale laser systems also yielded pertinent recommendations for facilitating a smooth transition of angled laser micromachining from laboratory-scale research to industrial applications.

Automated endpointing in microelectronics failure analysis using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

Failure analysis of microelectronics is essential to identify the root cause of a device's failure and prevent future failures. This process often requires removing material from the device sample to reach the region of interest, which can be done through various destructive methods, such as mechanical polishing, chemical etching, focused ion beam milling, and laser machining. Among these, laser machining offers a unique combination of speed, precision, and controllability to achieve a high-throughput, highly targeted material removal. In using lasers for processing of microelectronic samples, a much-desired capability is automated endpointing which is crucial for minimizing manual checks and improving the overall process throughput. In this paper, we propose to integrate laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), as a fast and high-precision material detection and process control means, into an ultrashort pulsed laser machining system, to enable vertical endpointing for sample preparation and failure analysis of microelectronics. The capabilities of the proposed system have been demonstrated through several sample processing examples.

Generalized thermoelasticity study in ultrashort pulsed laser machining of ceramic considering material removal and variable material properties

Ceramic materials are widely used in engineering due to their excellent properties, but they are difficult to be machined by conventional techniques. Ultrashort pulsed laser is an applicable tool to achieve high-quality processing of these hard-brittle materials. However, the ultrashort thermalization time and complex interactions in laser processing bring great difficulty to describe thermal-mechanical responses precisely. For this purpose, we establish a model for ceramics irradiated by femtosecond pulsed laser in the context of Green-Lindsay generalized thermoelastic theory, considering the effect of material removal and temperature-dependent material properties. Thermoelastic responses and the effect of laser parameters in the machining considering material removal are obtained by means of Finite Element Method. Results show that classical thermoelastic theory underestimates thermal stresses, while G-L thermoelastic theory predicts more accurate responses. Laser parameters, including laser intensity and pulse duration, significantly affect the thermoelastic responses and the process of material removal, which indicates the necessity of laser parameter optimization for reduced thermal stresses and higher processing efficiency. Temperature-dependence of material properties must be considered, as it has pronounced influences on thermoelastic responses. This study can be used as the preparation for the structural safety design in ultrashort pulsed laser machining.

Numerical simulation and investigation of ultra-short pulse laser ablation on Ti6Al4V and stainless steel

In ultra-short pulse laser machining and micro/surface processing, accurate simulation of laser ablation is important for understanding laser-target interaction and improving ablation performance, but it remains challenging. This work aims to develop a numerical model to improve the accuracy of the ablation depth calculation. A grid deformation scheme is proposed based on energy conservation and considering contributions to instant material removal from both the electron and lattice subsystems. By incorporating this scheme with the two-temperature model (TTM), a reasonable prediction of the instant target surface profile during laser ablation has been achieved. In the case of single-pulse femtosecond laser ablation of Ti6Al4V, the calculated ablation depth ranges from 0.06 to 0.56 μm for laser energy from 1.0 to 10.0 μJ. For single-pulse picosecond laser ablation of stainless steel, as laser energy increases from 6.0 to 18.5 μJ, the predicted ablation crater deepens accordingly from 40 to 87 nm. In addition, for multi-pulse picosecond laser ablation of stainless steel, a linear dependence of the ablation depth on the pulse number is observed up to a depth of about 803 nm at 6.0 μJ and 20 pulses. In all the above-mentioned cases, the calculation results are in better agreement with experimental measurements than conventional TTM or other material removal schemes, validating the accuracy of the proposed model.

Investigation of precession laser machining of microholes in aerospace material

Sidewall tapering is one of the main limitations in ultrashort pulse (USP) laser machining and is associated with the beam shape and self-limiting effect. Laser processing with a precession beam is a potential solution to overcome this limitation. A study into the effects of precession parameters on the taper angle in microhole drilling of a nickel alloy is reported in this paper. The effects of three key precession parameters, i.e., incident angle, relative distance between the focuses of the precession and individual beams, and scanning speed, have been investigated in detail. Experiments were performed to drill through holes with aspect ratios up to 20:1 and diameters ranging from 100 to 500 μm over 0.6–2 mm thick nickel alloy substrates. Experiment results showed that all the considered parameters/factors were significant and affected the hole tapering in different ways. In addition, there were important interaction effects between two of the factors, i.e., incident angle and focus position, in some cases. The optimal parameters to minimize the tapering effect are suggested, and the mechanism is discussed in detail. The precession laser machining showed clear advantages in overcoming the limitations to associated with conventional USP laser machining. Fabricating microholes with high geometrical accuracy, i.e., with straight side walls and zero taper angles, is feasible with the use of a precession beam. The results clearly show the potential of precession laser processing and the capabilities that the technology can offer for a range of laser micromachining applications in different industries, such as microelectronics, automotive, and aerospace.

Real-time defect detection through lateral monitoring of secondary process emissions during ultrashort pulse laser microstructuring

Ultrashort pulse (USP) laser machining is characterized both by high spatial precisions as well as rapid changes during the processing. Laser pulses with durations of only a few hundred femtoseconds are deflected over the workpiece surfaces at speeds of up to 10 m/s. Due to the tradeoff between the precision and the productivity, USP laser machining processes can last up to multiple days. Online defect detection and their elimination is therefore essential in order to increase the stability of the established processing as well as accelerate the process development. However, monitoring of USP laser micromachining represents a great challenge because of both the high requirements for the spatial accuracy and the cost-intensive sensor integration. In the scope of this work, this challenge is tackled by laterally collecting the optical process emissions with photodiodes for different wavelength ranges. The monitoring system, which had previously been developed and had undergone initial testing, is further evaluated in this work. These most recent analyses aim to investigate the detection of the surface roughness prior to as well as its evolution during the USP laser machining. In addition, successful localization of defects induced on the workpiece surface by the USP processing is shown. Furthermore, the possibility of online process control was demonstrated by transferring the analysis algorithms to a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and implementing a real-time defect detection and feedback to the user. A decision for each data point is generated within the 10-μs cycle of the data acquisition. Furthermore, the system can be programmed flexibly and thus expanded to include real-time data analyses for further applications as well as process control. In conclusion, the analyses of laterally recorded secondary emissions have shown great potential for differentiating between surface roughness above 1 μm as well as tracking changes for every pass over the surface and localizing defects during the USP-laser machining.

Creation of functional heat radiation surface by surface texturing

Industrial interest in thermal management is rapidly increasing due to the increase in the amount of heat generated by semiconductor devices as their performance improves in terms of miniaturization, higher power output, and higher density. Radiation of heat from a material surface is a phenomenon of electromagnetic wave emission, and the wavelength of the emitted electromagnetic wave varies with temperature according to Planck's law. In this paper, we aim to create functional heat radiation surfaces that can enhance heat dissipation performance in a specific temperature range by controlling the wavelength range of electromagnetic waves emitted from the material surface. Micro-cutting and ultrashort pulsed laser machining were used to fabricate various microstructures and their effects on heat radiation were investigated. It was found that the combination of a groove structure with an electromagnetic wavelength size and a sub-micrometer size groove structure can provide a temperature selectivity that increases the radiation flow in a specific temperature range.

Ablation threshold estimation for femtosecond pulsed laser machining of AISI 316L

The diffusion of laser machines based on femtosecond and picosecond pulses is increasing in industry, thanks to their capacity of performing high precision, nano-scale machining operations, and to their applicability to a wide variety of materials. The quality of the obtained products depends heavily on the selection of proper machine parameters, which is a non-trivial task for such a nonlinear, multi-physics dependent process. In this work, we propose a new regression approach for the characterization of ablation threshold and incubation factor, which are the key parameters required for defining process recipes in ultra-short pulsed laser machining. The proposed method is applied to the estimation of these parameters for stainless steel AISI 316L, basing on hole drilling data measured by optical microscopy.

Picosecond laser machining of ceramic matrix composite

In recent years, there has been increased interest in using silicon carbide (SiC) based ceramic matrix composites (CMC) materials for aero-engine applications; however, both conventional and non-conventional machining of SiC CMC is challenging. Ultrashort pulse laser machining is evolving as an attractive option for materials like SiC CMC; however, the current understanding is based only on low-power lasers, whose removal rate is not in-line with the industrial requirements. This paper presents the results of 300 W picosecond laser machining of SiC CMC. The laser machining characteristics of SiC CMC were investigated at high average power and discussed in detail. A 300 W picosecond laser can be used to achieve a material removal rate of ∼230 mm3/min (0.76 mm3/minW) for a machining depth of 2 mm in SiC CMC, however, irrespective of the laser parameters a wall taper of ∼7° was observed over the sides of the slots that need to be addressed.

X-ray Dose Rate and Spectral Measurements during Ultrafast Laser Machining Using a Calibrated (High-Sensitivity) Novel X-ray Detector.

Ultrashort pulse laser machining is subject to increase the processing speeds by scaling average power and pulse repetition rate, accompanied with higher dose rates of X-ray emission generated during laser–matter interaction. In particular, the X-ray energy range below 10 keV is rarely studied in a quantitative approach. We present measurements with a novel calibrated X-ray detector in the detection range of 2–20 keV and show the dependence of X-ray radiation dose rates and the spectral emissions for different laser parameters from frequently used metals, alloys, and ceramics for ultrafast laser machining. Our investigations include the dose rate dependence on various laser parameters available in ultrafast laser laboratories as well as on industrial laser systems. The measured X-ray dose rates for high repetition rate lasers with different materials definitely exceed the legal limitations in the absence of radiation shielding.

Rationally designed ultra-short pulsed laser patterning of zirconia-based ceramics tailored for the bone-implant interface

Ceramic composite materials are increasingly used in dental restoration procedures, but current ceramic surface designs do not yet achieve the osseointegration potential of state-of-the-art titanium implants. Rapid bone tissue integration of an implant is greatly dependent on its surface characteristics, but the material properties of ceramic composite materials interfere with classical surface modification techniques. Here, ultra-short pulsed laser machining, which offers a defined energy input mitigating a heat-affected zone, is explored for surface modification of ceramic composites. Inspired by surface textures of clinically relevant titanium implants, dual roughness surfaces are laser patterned. Raman mapping reveals a negligible effect of ultra-short pulsed laser ablation on material properties, but a laser-induced change in the wetting state is revealed by static contact angle measurements. Laser patterning of surfaces also influences blood coagulation, but not the attachment and spreading of osteoblastic cells. The presented laser machining approach thus allows the introduction of a rational surface design on ceramic composites, holding great promise for the manufacturing of ceramic implants.

Beam engineering strategies reduce heat accumulation effects in high power, ultrashort pulse laser machining

Thermal effects limit the applicability for high throughput processing of 100 W class ultrashort pulse lasers. Mitigating these can expand machining applications, particularly for microscale processing.

Ablation Characteristics of Alumina and Zirconia Ceramics on Ultra-short Pulsed Laser Machining

Ablation Characteristics of Alumina and Zirconia Ceramics on Ultra-short Pulsed Laser Machining

The influence of processing parameters on X-ray emission during ultra-short pulse laser machining

During ultra-short laser material processing at high laser pulse repetition rates unwanted X-ray radiation can be generated in a quantity that may constitute a potential risk for health. An adequate X-ray radiation protection requires a thoroughly understanding of the influence of the laser processing parameters on the generation of X-ray radiation. In the present work, the generated X-ray dose during laser machining was investigated in air for varying beam scanning conditions at a pulse duration of 925 fs, a center wavelength of 1030 nm and a laser peak intensity of 2.6 × 1014 W/cm2. The X-ray radiation dose and the corresponding spectral X-ray emission were investigated in dependence on the laser’s pulse repetition rate and on the beam scanning speed. The results show a strong dependence of the X-ray emission on these laser processing parameters.

High-throughput machining using a high-average power ultrashort pulse laser and high-speed polygon scanner

High-throughput ultrashort pulse laser machining is investigated on various industrial grade metals (aluminum, copper, and stainless steel) and Al2O3 ceramic at unprecedented processing speeds. This is achieved by using a high-average power picosecond laser in conjunction with a unique, in-house developed polygon mirror-based biaxial scanning system. Therefore, different concepts of polygon scanners are engineered and tested to find the best architecture for high-speed and precision laser beam scanning. In order to identify the optimum conditions for efficient processing when using high-average laser powers, the depths of cavities made in the samples by varying the processing parameter settings are analyzed and, from the results obtained, the characteristic removal values are specified. For overlapping pulses of optimum fluence, the removal rate is as high as 27.8 mm3/min for aluminum, 21.4 mm3/min for copper, 15.3 mm3/min for stainless steel, and 129.1 mm3/min for Al2O3, when a laser beam of 187 W average laser powers irradiates. On stainless steel, it is demonstrated that the removal rate increases to 23.3 mm3/min when the laser beam is very fast moving. This is thanks to the low pulse overlap as achieved with 800 m/s beam deflection speed; thus, laser beam shielding can be avoided even when irradiating high-repetitive 20-MHz pulses.

Experimental study on the development of a micro-drilling cycle using ultrashort laser pulses

Microholes for the production of high precision devices were obtained by ultrashort pulsed laser machining of martensitic stainless steels. A micro-drilling cycle based on the sequence of a drilling through phase, an enlargement and finishing phase is proposed in order to solve the trade-off between process time and quality of the ablated surfaces without making use of complex design of experiments. The three phases were studied taking into account the evolution of the microhole shape as a function of the main process parameters (number of passes per phase, incidence angle and radius of the beam trajectory respect to the hole׳s axis).Experiments testified that the drilling strategy was able to produce cylindrical holes with diameter of 180±2μm on a 350μm thick plate in total absence of burrs and debris within a drilling time of 3.75s. Repeatability tests showed a process capability of nearly 99%. SEM inspection of the inner surface of the microholes showed the presence of elongated and periodic ripples whose size and inclination can be controlled adjusting the incidence angle of the beam over the tapered surface before the ultimate finishing phase.

Friction Adjustment within Dry Deep Drawing by Locally Laser Textured Tool Surfaces

In deep drawing processes sustainability can be increased and processing steps can be omitted by abolishing any lubricants. Tailored tools with locally textured surfaces offer a possibility to compensate higher strains caused by the changed tribological system. Ultrashort pulsed laser machining is an advantageous approach to generate surface features. Thus, very hard and brittle materials can be processed inducing negligible heat affected zones so that the surrounding tool material keeps its initial properties. The material-dependent process parameters for efficient picosecond laser structuring are applied. The effects of features with single feature sizes in the range of 100 µm to 500 µm on friction of the tribological pairing are presented. The dependencies of the friction coefficient on the properties of the micro features - the geometry, the shape, the density and the orientation - are investigated by using a ring-on-disc-tribometer. The ring representing the tool is made out of the cold work steel 1.2379. The zinc-coated deep-drawing steel DC04 is used as disc respectively workpiece material. During the ring-on-disc-tests a constant contact pressure of 2.1 MPa and a mean sliding velocity of 100 mm/s are applied. To obtain the significant influences of micro features on friction, screening tests by varying the parameters according to the Shainin method are carried out. Because of the stochastically occurring high wear observed in reference experiments a changed methodology of ring-on-disc-tests is proposed. Applying this method the effects of textured ring surfaces on friction coefficient of steel-zinc-sliding are evaluated and compared to untextured rings. The latter are tested non-lubricated as well as with lubrication. The screening tests show that the feature orientation is the significant parameter influencing the friction. Selecting this parameter together with the feature density the friction coefficient can be adjusted with regard to untextured surfaces.