Processing HIP-zirconia with ultra-short laser pulses

Creating individual complex three dimensional structures in HIP-zirconia by conventional mechanical machining, e.g. milling, is time consuming and subject to significant loss in bending strength due to microcracking during the milling process. Utilizing ultra-short laser pulses, individual complex three dimensional microstructures can be created very precisely without significant damage to the structure. This advantage is used to process HIP-zirconia in order to create dental restorations. To evaluate efficiency and quality, different laser parameters such as pulse duration, pulse energy and ablation strategies were studied. The maximum ablation rate was found at 400 fs.