Applied Surface Science, Vol.256, No.13, 4142-4148, 2010
Drilling enhancement by nanosecond-nanosecond collinear dual-pulse laser ablation of titanium in vacuum
Laser ablation of titanium in vacuum was performed using single- and dual-pulse regime in order to study crater formation. Crater profiles were analyzed by optical microscopy. It was found that the repetition-rate plays an important role in a process of laser ablation. The drilling is most effective for the highest repetition-rate. For the same total number of laser pulses clear drilling enhancement was achieved by dual-pulse regime of ablation in comparison to single-pulse regime. The strongest ablation rate in dual-pulse regime was achieved for the delay time between the pulses tau = 370 ns. Results are discussed in terms of decreased ablation threshold due to continuous heating of the target during the experiment. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords:Laser drilling;Laser ablation;Dual-pulse laser ablation;Double-pulse laser ablation;Laser-induced plasma;LIBS;Material removal;Titanium