Laser ablation mechanism of transparent dielectrics with picosecond laser pulses

Thin glass sheets (thickness <1 mm) have a great potential in OLED and LCD displays. While the conventional manufacturing methods, such as mechanical scribing and breaking, result in poor edge strength, ultra-short-pulsed laser processing could be a promising solution, offering high-quality cutting edges. However laser precision glass cutting suffers from unwanted material modification and even severe damage (e.g. cracks and chipping). Therefore it is essential to have a deep understanding of the ultra-short-pulsed laser ablation mechanism of transparent dielectrics in order to remedy those drawbacks. In this work, the ablation mechanism of transparent dielectrics irradiated by picosecond laser pulses has been studied. Ultrafast dynamics of free-electrons is analyzed using a rate equation for free-electron density including multi-photon ionization, avalanche ionization and loss terms. Two maps of free-electron density in parameter space are given to discuss the dependence of ablation threshold intensity/fluence on pulse duration. The laser ablation model describing laser beam propagation and energy deposition in transparent dielectrics is presented. Based on our model, simulations and experiments have been performed to study the ablation dynamics. Both simulation and experimental results show good agreement, offering great potential for optimization of laser processing in transparent dielectrics. The effects of recombination coefficient and electron-collision time on our model are investigated.