Comparative Study of Laser and Water Jet-assisted Laser Surface Processing of SiC
X. Li, X-H. Chen, H-G. Li, X. Xu and W. Liu
Conventional laser processing and water jet-assisted laser surface processing of SiC were compared. The effects of the laser parameters and water jet parameters on the processing depth and width were studied using the single-factor test method. In the case of water jet-assisted laser processing the water jet used provides impacting and cooling effects. The cooling action of the water jet absorbs the excess laser energy applied to the surface of the SiC, reducing the heat affected zone (HAZ) and ablation. The impact of the water jet also washes away the slag generated by the laser from the processing area, avoiding slag accumulation and the formation of the recondensed layer, as well as improving the processing quality. The results of this study suggest that the introduction of water jets can effectively reduce the defects associated with conventional laser processing of ceramics.
Keywords: Nd3+:YAG laser, silicon carbide, SiC, laser processing, water jet- assisted laser processing, depth, width, heat affected zone (HAZ), recast layer, slag