Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Underwater-laser drilling of aluminum

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pulsed-laser ablation of an aluminum bulk sample was performed both in water and air with a Q-switched Nd:YAG 1,064-nm laser over a range of high-output energies from 100 to 500 mJ. The effect of laser drilling in terms of produced crater volumes as a function of water-layer thickness was studied. The water-layer thickness was varied from 1 to 20 mm. In a special case, water droplets were added to the ablation region of the dry target in order to support ablation. Water-layer thickness in that case was estimated to be 0.5 mm. A comparison of the results obtained in air and underwater was performed. It is found that the aluminum target may be drilled more efficiently under the confinement of water compared to drilling in air environment. Further drilling efficiency can be achieved by varying the thickness of water. The optimized water thickness under the conditions of our experiment was found to be 3 mm. In that case, a 28-fold increase in crater volume and 18-fold increase in crater depth was achieved as compared to ablation in air. In underwater ablation, the formation of irregular surface structures of re-deposited material around the crater (rim) is avoided and the crater surface is smoother. In an air environment, the drilling is suppressed due to an immediate re-solidification and re-deposition of ablated material. This leads to a better characteristics of craters obtained underwater in terms of roughness, shape, volumes, and reproducibility.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Li L, Hong M, Schmidt M, Zhong M, Mashe A, Huis int’Veld B, Kovalenko V (2011) Laser nano-manufacturing–state of the art and challenges. CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology 60(2):735–755

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Dubey AK, Yadava V (2008) Laser beam machining—a review. Int J Mach Tool Manuf 48:609–628

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Knowles MRH, Rutterford G, Karnakis D, Ferguson A (2007) Micro-machining of metals, ceramics and polymers using nanosecond lasers. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 33:95–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Chryssolouris G, Tsoukantas G, Salonitis K, Stavropoulos P, Karagiannis S (2003) Laser machining modelling and experimentation—an overview, Proc SPIE 5131, 3rd GR-I International Conference on New Laser Technologies and Applications 158–168

  5. Stournaras A, Salonitis K, Stavropoulos P, Chryssolouris G (2009) Theoretical and experimental investigation of pulsed laser grooving process. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 44:114–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Salonitis K, Stournaras A, Tsoukantas G, Stavropoulos P, Chryssolouris G (2007) A theoretical and experimental investigation on limitations of pulsed laser drilling. J Mater Process Technol 183:96–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hopp B, Smausz T, Bereznai M (2007) Laser drilling of high aspect ratio holes in copper with femtosecond, picosecond and nanosecond pulses. Appl Phys A 61:77–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Weck A, Crawford THR, Wilkinson DS, Haugen HK, Preston JS (2008) Laser drilling of high aspect ratio holes in copper with femtosecond, picosecond and nanosecond pulses. Appl Phys A 90:537–543

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Krstulović N, Milošević S (2010) Drilling enhancement by nanosecond–nanosecond collinear dual-pulse laser ablation of titanium in vacuum. Appl Surf Sci 256:4142–4148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kang HW, Lee H, Welch AJ (2008) Laser ablation in liquid-confinement using a nanosecond laser pulse. J Appl Phys 103:083101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Vogel A, Busch S, Parlitz U (1996) Shock wave emission and cavitation bubble generation by picoseconds and nanosecond optical breakdown in water. J Acoust Soc Am 100:148–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Ohara J, Nagakubo M, Kawahara N, Hattori T (1997) High aspect ratio etching by infrared laser induced micro bubbles. The Tenth Annual International Workshop on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. 26-30 Jan 1997.

  13. Tsuji T, Okazaki Y, Tsuboi Y, Tsuji M (2007) Nanosecond time-resolved observations of laser ablation of silver in water. Jpn J Appl Phys 46:1533–1535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Isselin JC, Alloncle AP, Autric M (1998) On laser induced single bubble near solid boundary: contribution to the understanding of erosion phenomena. J Appl Phys 84:5766–5771

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kang HW, Lee H, Chen S, Welch AJ (2006) Enhancement of bovine bone ablation assisted by a transparent liquid layer on a target surface. IEEE J Quantum Electron 42:633–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Lu J, Xu RQ, Chen X, Shen ZH, Ni XW, Zhang SY, Gao CM (2004) Mechanisms of laser drilling of metal plates underwater. J Appl Phys 95:3890–3894

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kruusing A (2004) Underwater and water-assisted laser processing: part 2—etching, cutting and rarely used methods. Opt Lasers Eng 41:329–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Choo KL, Ogawa Y, Kanbargi G, Otra V, Raff LM, Komanduri R (2004) Micromachining of silicon by short-pulse laser ablation in air and under water. Mat Sci Eng A–Struct 372:145–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Tsai C-H, Li C-C (2009) Investigation of underwater laser drilling for brittle substrates. J Mater Process Technol 209:2838–2846

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Yan Y, Li L, Sezer K, Wang W, Whitehead D, Ji L, Bao Y, Jiang Y (2011) CO2 laser underwater machining of deep cavities in alumina. J Eur Ceram Soc 31:2793–2807

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Wee LM, Ng EYK, Prathama AH, Zheng H (2011) Micro-machining of silicon wafer in air and under water. Opt Laser Technol 43:62–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kumar B, Treja RK (2010) Synthesis of nanoparticles in laser ablation of aluminium in liquid. J Appl Phys 108:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  23. Perez D, Béland LK, Deryng D, Lewis LJ, Meunier M (2008) Numerical study of the thermal ablation of wet solids by ultrashort laser pulses. Phys Rev B 77:014108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Perminov PA, Dzhun IO, Ezhov AA, Zabotnov SV, Golovan LA, Ivlev GD, Gatskevich EI, Malevich VL, Kashkarov PK (2011) Creation of silicon nanocrystals using the laser ablation in liquid. Laser Phys 21:801–804

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Yang GW (2007) Laser ablation in liquids: applications in the synthesis of nanocrystals. Prog Mater Sci 52:648–698

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Kazakevich PV, Simakin AV, Voronov VV, Shafeev GA (2006) Laser induced synthesis of nanoparticles in liquids. Appl Surf Sci 252:4373–4380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Zhu XP, Suzuki T, Nakayama T, Suematsu H, Jiang W, Niihara K (2006) Underwater laser ablation approach to fabricating monodisperse metallic nanoparticles. Chem Phys Lett 427:127–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Liu P, Cui H, Wang CX, Yang GW (2010) From nanocrystal synthesis to functional nanostructure fabrication: laser ablation in liquid. Phys Chem Chem Phys 12:3942–3952

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Nikolov AS, Nedyalkov NN, Nikov RG, Atanasov PA, Alexandrov MT (2011) Characterization of Ag and Au nanoparticles created by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation in double distilled water. Appl Surf Sci 257:5278–5282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. De Giacomo A, De Bonis A, Dell’Aglio M, De Pascale O, Gaudiuso R, Orlando S, Santagata A, Senesi GS, Taccogna F, Teghil R (2011) Laser ablation of graphite in water in a range of pressure from 1 to 146 atm using single and double pulse techniques for the production of carbon nanostructures. J Phys Chem C 115:5123–5130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Dupont A, Caminat P, Bournot P (1995) Enhancement of material ablation using 248, 308, 532, 1,064 nm laser pulse with a water film on the treated surface. J Appl Phys 78:2022–2028

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Tunna L, O’Neill W, Khan A, Sutcliffe C (2005) Analysis of laser micro drilled holes through aluminium for micro-manufacturing applications. Opt Lasers Eng 43:937–950

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Zhu S, Lu YF, Hong MH, Chen XY (2001) Laser ablation of solid substrates in water and ambient air. J Appl Phys 89:2400–2403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Berthe L, Fabbro R, Peyre P, Bartnicki E (1999) Wavelength dependent of laser shock-wave generation in the water-confinement regime. J Appl Phys 85:7552–7555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Kovalchuk T, Toker G, Bulatov V, Schechter I (2010) Laser breakdown in alcohols and water induced by λ = 1,064 nm nanosecond pulses. Chem Phys Lett 500:242–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Kang HW, Welch AJ (2007) Effect of liquid thickness on laser ablation efficiency. J Appl Phys 101:083101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Ageev VA, Bokhonov AF, Zhukovskii VV, Yankovskii AA (1997) Dynamics of processes occurring in laser ablation of metals in a liquid. J Appl Spectrosc 64:683–688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Sakka T, Masai S, Fukami K, Ogata YH (2009) Spectral profile of atomic emission lines and effects of pulse duration on laser ablation in liquid. Spectrochim Acta B 64:981–985

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Zhu S, Lu YF, Hong MH (2001) Laser ablation of solid substrates in a water-confined environment. Appl Phys Lett 79:1396–1398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Kim D, Oh B, Lee H (2004) Effect of liquid film on near-threshold laser ablation of a solid surface. Appl Surf Sci 222:138–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physics, Science Centre North, University College Dublin, Belfield 4, Dublin, Ireland

    Nikša Krstulović, Sharon Shannon, Robert Stefanuik & Carlo Fanara

  2. EPPRA (European Pulsed Power Research Applications), Avenue du Quebec 16, 91140, Villebon-sur-Yvette, France

    Carlo Fanara

Authors
  1. Nikša Krstulović
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sharon Shannon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert Stefanuik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Carlo Fanara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nikša Krstulović.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Krstulović, N., Shannon, S., Stefanuik, R. et al. Underwater-laser drilling of aluminum. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 69, 1765–1773 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-013-5141-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-013-5141-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation