Bubble Formation in the Underwater Laser Ablation of Silicon

Abstract:

Thermal damage of workpiece material induced by laser machining process can be reduced by using the underwater technique. This method requies the whole workpiece to be submerged in water while a laser beam strikes the work surface for ablation. Though water can cool the workpiece during the ablation, the dynamic features of water can adversely interfere the laser beam. The vapor bubbles created in water can scatter the laser beam and in turn attenuate the laser intensity at the work surface so as the ablation performance. In this paper, the bubble formation caused by laser machining of silicon in water was investigated and analyzed. The shadowgraph technique associated with the high speed camera was used to capture and measure the vapor bubble in water. The bubble size was found to increase with the laser pulse energy. After a number of laser pulses irradiated on the workpiece surface, the bubble was broken up into small ones which can significantly disturb the laser beam so as the ablation performance.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 835)
• Pages: 144-148
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.835.144
• Online since: May 2016
• Authors: Wisan Charee, Viboon Saetang*, Chaiya Dumkum
• Keywords: Ablation, Bubble, Laser, Silicon, Underwater

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