Experimental study on laser microstructures using long pulse

Laser surface texturing has applications in mechanical, medical and electrical industries. Many experiments using the short pulsed laser in air have been performed. In this study, the mechanism of the microstructure produced by using the long pulsed laser from the bump to the dimple is analyzed, in which the surface tension is dominant for the bump shape. The microstructure produced underwater is more regular than the one in air because the spatter of material on the entrance disappears. Due to additional mechanical impacts, liquid-assisted ablation efficiency with a water layer of 0.5 mm shows upto four times higher ablation volume than that in air. More heat dissipation with a thicker liquid layer reduced ablation efficiency.