Material ablation and plasma formation in the radiative field of lasers

The formation of a material vapor beam during ablation by a UV laser is studied. Laser radiation absorption mechanisms in plasmas are examined, including multiphoton absorption and absorption via field ionization. Laser-induced gas breakthrough is considered, especially argon gas breakthrough that occurs during multiphoton process dominance in KrF lasers. The formation of laser-induced absorption waves and their influence on the geometry and efficiency of material ablation under laser irradiation are investigated. The efficiency and quality of ablation in metal microprocessing using KrF laser are examined.