Experimental Investigation on Femtosecond Laser Ablation of Polycarbonate

Abstract

In this paper, experimental investigations on femtosecond laser (pulse duration:164 fs, wavelength:780 nm) micromachining of polycarbonate have been carried out in air. The lateral and vertical machining precision was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and profilometer. The morphological changes were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The ablation mechanism varied with the laser pulse energy was discussed. The diameter and depth of the ablated crated are influenced by the laser pulse energy and the number of laser pulses. The relation between the diameter and ablation depth of the crater and the key parameters of femtosecond laser is obtained. Femtosecond laser micromachining of polycarbonate have a potential application of the fabrication of polycarbonate-based devices.