Processing of diamond by laser beam irradiation

YAG and ArF excimer laser beams, of which wavelengths are 1.06 mu m and 193 nm respectively, have been applied to processing of a variety bf diamonds. Cutting and smoothing of natural, CVD and sintered diamonds have been performed. CVD diamond films were prepared by are discharge plasma jet CVD and microwave plasma CVD, and sintered diamonds contain metallic or ceramic binder have been used. Fundamental removal processes of diamond with YAG and ArF excimer laser have been investigated using natural single cn stal and CVD diamonds in various atmospheres changing laser irradiation conditions such as average power. energy density and pulse repetition rates. Cutting of natural and CVD diamonds with YAG laser proceeds at higher peak power that occurs at lower pulse repetition rates. Smooth surfaces are obtained bg excimer laser irradiation at the incident angle of 80 degrees. In the cases of the processing with YAG laser, the effect of local heating by laser beam irradiation mainly assists the diamond processing, and diamond appears to be removed after graphitization and oxidization following vaporization in the atmosphere contains oxygen. The temperature measurement was carried out at backside of irradiation surface, and increase of temperature when YAG laser beam was irradiated was larger than that when excimer laser was irradiated. On the contrary the detection of C, C-2, C+, O-2 and CO from the emission at the irradiation area with ArF excimer laser beam suggests that processing partly proceeds by: the separation of carbon atoms from the surface of diamond after braking bonds between carbon atoms caused by laser beam. Cutting of sintered diamond with metallic binder was difficult because metallic binder remains in the groove while ceramic binder was easily removed. Processing technique using laser beams has been applied to surface planing, chip preparation and edge formation of CVD diamond and curved surface formation on sintered diamond. Surface planing was carried out by directing the YAG laser beam parallel to the surface of diamond films and diamond chips were prepared by the combination of cutting and surface plaiting techniques. A sharp edge was formed between the surfaces which cut by laser beam and mechanically polished. Round nose was formed by gradually rotating the sintered diamond following YAG laser beam irradiation.