Laser induced surface modifications on ZrO2 ceramics

Zirconia is widely used as a solid electrolyte due to its high ionic conductivity and as a biocompatible material, and tailoring its properties is of great importance. In the present paper, experimental results are presented on modifications of surface properties of ZrO2 ceramics doped with 3% of Y2O3 exposed to radiation of either an excimer KrF (λ=248 nm) or ArF laser (λ=248 nm), pulse duration of 15–20 ns in air. The modification of porosity of irradiated areas and its diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) are studied as a function of laser beam parameters. The morphology of laser treated zirconia ceramics along with its microhardness and roughness are shown to depend significantly on the laser fluence. The catalytic activity of laser treated zirconia ceramics towards the electroless deposition of Cu and Ni is analyzed with respect to DRS modifications.