Polymer film cutting and ablative etching using a 1-kHz XeCl laser

Abstract
A 1-kHz XeCl laser has been used to investigate cutting and ablative etching of thin polymer films. Significant increases in cutting efficiency and etch rate occur at high pulse rates (≳100 Hz) apparently due to cumulative heating effects. Cut rates of 130 cm s−1 are obtained at 900 Hz for a 12-μm-thick polyethylene teraphthalate film.
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