Heat affected zone in aluminum single crystals submitted to femtosecond laser irradiations

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 239; no. 3; pp. 381 - 386
• Main Authors: Valette, S., Audouard, E., Le Harzic, R., Huot, N., Laporte, P., Fortunier, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 31.01.2005; Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Engineering Sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Femtosecond laser; Materials; Metals; Metals. Metallurgy; Optics; Physical properties of thin films, nonelectronic; Physical radiation effects, radiation damage; Physics; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thermal effects; Thermal stability; thermal effects; Ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation effects (including laser radiation); Femtosecond laser; 68.60Dv; 79.20Ds; Metals; 81.40z; Thermal effects; Monocrystals; Electron backscattering; Thermal effects 68.60Dv; Laser radiation; Physical radiation effects; Aluminium; Heat affected zone; ABLATION; TARGETS; NANOSECOND; PULSES
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2004.06.003

An experimental procedure is developed to quantify the radial dimension of the heat affected zone (HAZ) in metals submitted to laser pulses. A cube oriented aluminum single crystal is highly deformed by plane strain compression, then micro-drilled by 200 fs or 8 ns laser pulses, and finally analyzed by the electron back scattering diffraction technique. Recrystallized and recovered zones are observed as signatures of the HAZ. A typical value of 1.5 μm is found in the femtosecond regime of illumination, whereas for nanosecond pulses a value of 25 μm is measured. These results are in accordance with previous experiments and numerical simulations.