Evaluation of Laser Drilling of Ni Film on Silicon for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

During the recent years great attention was paid to the technologies of micro fuel cells (μ-SOFC) with a few watts of output that can be applied in the portable electrical equipment. This work presents initial results of experiments on laser drilling of microholes in nickel films for the fuel cell membranes. The laser ablation and drilling parameters were evaluated using nanosecond and picosecond lasers running at different wavelengths. The low-pulse energy regime using the picosecond laser radiating at the 532 nm wavelength is the most promising regime for small-diameter-hole drilling in Ni film.