Ultra-low threshold laser ablation investigated by time-resolved microscopy

Laser ablation materials are described that can be exposed using inexpensive near-IR lasers such as laser diodes. These materials were designed to act as printing plates in offset lithographic printing presses. Studies of the fundamental mechanisms of laser ablation were conducted using pulse-duration-dependent time-resolved optical microscopy. A knowledge of these mechanisms was used to engineer advanced ablation materials. Addition of an energetic polymer underneath the ablation layer, and the use of stress-assisted ablation were two strategies employed to achieve ultra-low ablation thresholds of a few tens of mJ/cm2.