Effect of nonionic surfactant addition on Pyrex glass ablation using water-assisted CO₂ laser processing

Pyrex glass etching using laser ablation is an important technology for the microfluid application to lab-ona- chip devices but suffers from the formation of surface crack. In this article, the addition of nonionic surfactant to water for glass ablation using water-assisted CO₂ laser processing (WACLAP) has been investigated to enhance ablation rate and to eliminate conventional surface defects of cracks in air. WACLAP for Pyrex glass ablation can reduce thermal-stress-induced crack with water cooling and hydrophilic nonionic surfactant to water can enhance ablation performance. Compared to pure water, the 15% weight percent Lauramidopropyl Betaine surfactant solutions for WACLAP can enhance ablation rate from 13.6 to 25 μm/pass of Pyrex glass ablation at a linear laser energy density of 2.11 J/cm, i.e., 24 W power, 114 mm/s scanning speed, and obtain through-wafer etching at 3.16 J/cm for 20 passes without cracks on the surface. Effect of surfactant concentration and linear energy density on WACLAP was also examined. The possible mechanism of surfactant-enhanced phenomenon was discussed by the Newton's law of viscosity of surfactant solution.