Optimisation of ablation parameters for direct-write micromachining of polymers using high-pulse-rate UV lasers

Author

Illy, E.K. ; Withford, Michael J. ; Brown, D.J.W. ; Piper, J.A.

Author_Institution

Centre for Lasers & Applications, Macquarie Univ., Sydney, NSW, Australia

fYear

1999

fDate

28-28 May 1999

Firstpage

403

Lastpage

404

Abstract

Summary form only given. Optimum conditions for high-speed (percussion) microdrilling of various polymers using (255 nm) frequency-doubled copper lasers operating at pulse rates up to 20 kHz are well documented, however the optimum renditions for linear cutting, trepanning, scribing or milling have not been explored in such detail. In this paper we report results of experimental investigations of micron precision cutting, trepanning and scribing of PETG, PMMA and other industrial polymers using high-pulse rate UV copper lasers. Typical laser characteristics are 0.7 W average power, diffraction-limited at 255 nm and pulse rates 5-15 kHz. Materials removal (i.e. machine) rates and machine quality (minimum HAZ) have been determined for various combinations of beam/sample scan rate, pulse rate, spot size (and spot overlap) and single-pulse-fluence.

Keywords

cutting; laser ablation; laser beam machining; micromachining; polymers; 0.7 W; 255 nm; PETG; PMMA; ablation parameters optimisation; direct-write micromachining; high-pulse-rate UV lasers; materials removal rates; micron precision cutting; minimum HAZ; percussion microdrilling; polymers; scribing; trepanning; Copper; Frequency; Laser ablation; Laser beam cutting; Metals industry; Micromachining; Milling; Optical pulses; Plastics industry; Polymers;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Lasers and Electro-Optics, 1999. CLEO '99. Summaries of Papers Presented at the Conference on

Conference_Location

Baltimore, MD, USA

Print_ISBN

1-55752-595-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/CLEO.1999.834366

Filename

834366