Laser Micro Machining Ablation

Laser ablation is a technique frequently applied in many industrial applications. However, for generating micro structures of several hundred micrometers depth the method appears not to be cost competitive. However, for smaller channel dimensions in the range well below 100 pm, laser ablation might well be a cost competitive option especially for small-scale applications. 

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Micro Structured Fuel Processors for Energf Generation 2.9.2.6 Laser Micro Machining (Ablation)... 

Mannion, R, Magee, J., Coyne, E., O Connor, G., Glynn, T, 2004. The effect of damage accumulation behaviour on ablation thresholds and damage morphology in ultrafast laser micro-machining of common metals in air. Appl. Surf. Sci. 233, 275. 

A third way to build up pFCs based on MEMS-polymers such as poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or PCB-materials such as polyimid (PI) or FR4. These polymers can be micro-machined by molding or by laser ablation. Shah et al. [22,23] have developed a complete PEMFC system consisting of a PDMS substrate with micro-flow channels upon which the MEA was vertically stacked. PDMS micro-reactors were fabricated by employing micro-molding with a dry etched silicon master. The PDMS spin coated on micro-machined Si was then cured and peeled off from the master. The MEA employed consisted in a Nafion - 12 membrane where they have sputtered Pt through a Mylar mask. Despite an interesting method, this FC gave poor results, a power density of 0.8 mW cm was achieved. 

The micro devices were fabricated from a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate using 193 nm ArF excimer laser ablation [59], Microstructures produced in this way were thermally sealed by a lamination machine. 

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