Picosecond laser drilling was studied in the case of industrial steel and aluminum, which are difficult to microprocess by conventional methods. The dependence of hole morphology and dimensions on the pulse repetition rate and number of pulses in water and air were ascertained. For both materials, the diameter of the hole is larger in water than in air. In water, the diameter is larger at higher repetition rates than at lower ones, and increases with the number of pulses. In air, the hole diameter is not affected by the repetition rate, and remains constant from 100 to 100,000 pulses. Overall, material removal is more efficient in water than in air. The shape of the hole is generally more irregular in water, becoming more so as the number of pulses is increased. This is probably due to debris being trapped in the hole, since water flowing over the target surface cannot efficiently remove it. In aluminum, the depth of the hole is smaller at higher repetition rates. By scanning the beam over the aluminum target in water, the laser penetrates a 400-μm thick workpiece, generating a line with comparable widths at the entrance and exit surfaces.
Keywords: ablation in liquid; microprocessing; picosecond laser; repetition rate.