Laser beam processes

L. Hong, R. Vilar, W. Youming, Laser Beam Processing of a SiC Particulate Reinforced 6061 Aluminium Metal Matrix Composite. Journal of Materials Science 1997,32. 5545-5550. 

The perforation of the self-standing diamond electrodes with many holes was performed by means of laser beam processing. The basic pattern of the hole arrangement was properly chosen so that the electrode strength was maintained during the processing. Fig. 24.4 shows a representative self-standing perforated diamond electrode, for which the hole diameter was 1 mm and the interval between holes was 2 mm. 

The previous investigations of hard particle transport processes during laser beam dispersing have shown, that the high speed microfocus radioscopy system is a usable arrangement to observe and analyse the movements, velocities and accelerations of particles inside the molten bath. That possibility was, until now, not given by conventional techniques of process... 

The investigations show that the microfocus high speed radioscopy system is suitable for monitoring the hard particle transport during laser beam dispersing. It is possible to observe and analyse the processes inside the molten bath with the presented test equipment. As a consequence a basis for correlation with the results of a simulation is available. 

LIF Laser-induced fluorescence Incident laser beam excites Excited-state processes ... 

A laser pulse strikes the surface of a specimen (a), removing material from the first layer, A. The mass spectrometer records the formation of A+ ions (b). As the laser pulses ablate more material, eventually layer B is reached, at which stage A ions begin to decrease in abundance and ions appear instead. The process is repeated when the B/C boundary is reached so that B+ ions disappear from the spectrum and C+ ions appear instead. This method is useful for depth profiling through a specimen, very little of which is needed. In (c), less power is used and the laser beam is directed at different spots across a specimen. Where there is no surface contamination, only B ions appear, but, where there is surface impurity, ions A from the impurity also appear in the spectrum (d). 

A laser beam is capable of putting so much energy into a substance in a very short space of time that the substance rapidly expands and volatilizes. The resulting explosive shock wave travels through the sample, subjecting it to high temperatures and pressures for short times. This process is also known as ablation. 

Laser ionization. Occurs when a sample is irradiated with a laser beam. In the irradiation of gaseous samples, ionization occurs via a single- or multiphoton process. In the case of solid samples, ionization occurs via a thermal process. 

In the discussion in Section 9.1.6 of harmonic generation of laser radiation we have seen how the high photon density produced by focusing a laser beam into certain crystalline materials may result in doubling, tripling, etc., of the laser frequency. Similarly, if a laser beam of wavenumber Vl is focused into a cell containing a material which is known to absorb at a wavenumber 2vl in an ordinary one-photon process the laser radiation may be absorbed in a two-photon process provided it is allowed by the relevant selection rules. 

In most spinning processes, the fiber emerging from the spinneret is drawn down to a desired dimension before complete solidification. In some production lines, a laser beam is uti1i2ed to monitor the dimensions of emerging thread any alteration is recorded and if required, the dope deHvery rate, take-up rate, and internal-injection medium deHvery rate are adjusted automaticaUy. 

The AeroSizer, manufactured by Amherst Process Instmments Inc. (Hadley, Massachusetts), is equipped with a special device called the AeroDisperser for ensuring efficient dispersal of the powders to be inspected. The disperser and the measurement instmment are shown schematically in Figure 13. The aerosol particles to be characterized are sucked into the inspection zone which operates at a partial vacuum. As the air leaves the nozzle at near sonic velocities, the particles in the stream are accelerated across an inspection zone where they cross two laser beams. The time of flight between the two laser beams is used to deduce the size of the particles. The instmment is caUbrated with latex particles of known size. A stream of clean air confines the aerosol stream to the measurement zone. This technique is known as hydrodynamic focusing. A computer correlation estabUshes which peak in the second laser inspection matches the initiation of action from the first laser beam. The equipment can measure particles at a rate of 10,000/s. The output from the AeroSizer can either be displayed as a number count or a volume percentage count. 

Multiphoton Absorption and Ionization. High laser powers can induce the simultaneous absorption of two or more photons that together provide the energy necessary to excite a transition this transition may be one that is forbidden as a single-photon process (8,297). Such absorption can be made Doppler-free by propagating two laser beams of frequency V in opposite directions, so the Doppler shifts cancel and a two-photon transition occurs at 2v for any absorber velocity. The signal is strong because aU absorbers contribute, and peak ampHtudes are enhanced by, which may... 

Vapor—vapor reactions (14,16,17) are responsible for the majority of ceramic powders produced by vapor-phase synthesis. This process iavolves heating two or more vapor species which react to form the desired product powder. Reactant gases can be heated ia a resistance furnace, ia a glow discharge plasma at reduced pressure, or by a laser beam. Titania [13463-67-7] Ti02, siUca, siUcon carbide, and siUcon nitride, Si N, are among some of the technologically important ceramic powders produced by vapor—vapor reactions. 

Because of the possibility of focusing laser beams, tlrin films can be produced at precisely defined locations. Using a microscope train of lenses to focus a laser beam makes possible tire production of microregions suitable for application in computer chip production. The photolytic process produces islands of product nuclei, which act as preferential nucleation sites for further deposition, and tlrus to some unevenness in tire product film. This is because the subsuate is relatively cool, and therefore tire surface mobility of the deposited atoms is low. In pyrolytic decomposition, the region over which deposition occurs depends on the drermal conductivity of the substrate, being wider the lower the thermal conductivity. For example, the surface area of a deposit of silicon on silicon is nanower dran the deposition of silicon on silica, or on a surface-oxidized silicon sample, using the same beam geomeU y. 

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