Experimental Studies on Joining thin Silver Foils by Recrystallization using Ultra Short Laser Pulses

Theoretical and experimental studies on joining thin silver foils by UV nanosecond and picosecond laser radiation were carried out for an application-orientated process design. Simulations of energy impact in the material at varying laser pulse energies, pulse durations and repetition rates were used to examine the feasibility of a laser-based joint of the highly reflective and thin material. Experimental studies using different laser systems were performed to validate the possibilities of joining thin Ag-foils. As a result it was possible to heat up the material using a UV picosecond laser in order to achieve a recrystallization of the grain boundaries