Excimer laser ablating of liquid crystal polymer

Ablation experiments of the A950 Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP), as a kind of typical matrix of fiber-reinforced polymer composites, are carried out in this paper. Data on the ablation of A950 LCP by an excimer laser at 248 nm are presented. The experimental results show that the ablation depth is a linear function of the number of pulses at constant laser fluence. The ablation rate varies with the logorithm of the fluence in a linear manner at different fluences. A satisfactory linear relationship is found between ablation energy and incident fluence. Perhaps due to the plume absorption and thermal effects, the ablation rate varies complicatedly with the pulse repetition frequency. (Author)