Femtosecond laser machining of steel

Femtosecond laser processing is a promising new technology for the fabrication of micro-scale components from engineering materials, such as metals. In the femtosecond time regime, the ablation process is nearly a solid to vapor transition, thereby providing access to cut smaller features. Sandia National Laboratories has constructed a femtosecond laser microfabrication system to study the ability to produce microscale components in metals and glasses. In this paper, we will report on our initial studies to understand the metal ablation process with respect to manufacturing process parameters. With this understanding, we will show that femtosecond laser processing can fabricate complex components with fine feature detail and clean surfaces. A key finding in this work is the substantial effect of layer decrement on resulting recast material deposition when processing in air.