Effects of Nanosecond-Pulsed Laser Milling on the Surface Properties of Al2O3 Ceramics

The effect of nanosecond-pulsed laser milling on the surficial microstructure of Al2O3 ceramics is studied in this work. The macrostructure, microstructure, surface roughness, and milling depth of the ceramics are analyzed via scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results reveal that the surface roughness and the milling depth of Al2O3 ceramics increase with increasing laser power, laser repetition rate, and scanning times. After nanosecond-pulsed laser milling, cavities as well as molten and granular solidified structures are observed on the Al2O3 ceramic surface, which indicate that the main mechanism of nanolaser milling is the melting and gasification caused by the interaction between the laser and the material.