Silicon carbide, due to its unique properties, has many promising applications in optics, electronics and other areas. However, it is difficult to process using mechanical machining or electrical discharge machining due to its electrical insulation, high hardness and brittleness. Laser ablation can potentially provide a good solution for silicon carbide micromachining. However, the study on silicon carbide ablation by nanosecond laser pulses at infrared wavelength is limited, and will be presented in this paper. The laser ablation rate, laser-induced plasma, the ablated surface morphology and chemical composition change have been studied, and the results are discussed.
Volume Subject Area:
Laser Based Manufacturing
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