1D

1979 IEEE/QSA Conference on

Laser Engineering and Applications
Washington, D.C., May 30-June 1, 1979

SESSION 1

MATERIALS PROCESSING, BIOMEDICAL AND NOVEL APPLICATIONS

Ballroom Center
Wednesday, May 30, 1979
9:OO A.M.-12:OO P.M.
Chairperson: S.R. Bolin
Organizer: M.G. Cohen

1.1 Laser SynthesisofSinterablePowders.J. H. Flint, S. C. Danforth, It appears to be blackbody emission from the particles as it is deep red
W. R. Cannon, and J . S. Haggerty, Department of Mechaniccrl En- close to threshold and becomes more intense and turns yellow under
gineering, Departtnenr ofMaterials Science, andEnergyLaboratory, typical conditions (180 watt, 0.2 atm, 10:1 NH,-SiH,). Preliminary
M t i . ~ s n c h r ~ . ~ rInstitute
tts ofTrchnology, Ctrmbridge, MA 02139 spectroscopic analysis has produced a blackbody-like spectrum with no
( I 5 min) obvious structure.

The high-temperature ceramicsilicon nitride is being investigated for Reference

possible use in energy efficient machinery. Since the properties of the
[l] N. G. Basov, E. P. Markin, A. N. Oraevskii, A. V. Pankratov, and A. N.
ceramic depend on the purity and uniformity of the original silicon Skachkov, Z h e f j P i s .R e d . , vol. 14, pp. 251-253, Aug. 20, 1971
nitride powder, a process that produces such an ideal powder is of
extreme importance. This paper reports the development of a laser-
driven synthesis of ultrafine, uniform silicon nitride powders of high
purity and subsequent experiments designed to explain in detail the
mechanism producing such ideal powders. 1.2 Laser-Generated ShockWave Experiments at Pressures Above
Heating a gas stream to the reaction temperature with a laser provides 1 TPa. N. C. Holmes,R . J. Trainor, R.M. More, andR. A. Anderson,
an isolated reaction volume free from heterogeneous nucleation sites LawrenceLivermore Laborntory, University of Calijiarnia,Liver-
and contamination fromhot chamber walls. A steep thermalprofile and more, CA 94550
a small well-defined reaction zone were expected to produce a uniform (15 min)
powder. Previously reported techniques for synthesizing silicon nitride
have produced powderswith large size distributions, and powderswhich We will discuss the application of high-power Nd:glass lasers to the
are nonspherical and agglomerated. These faults lead to incomplete investigation of material properties under conditions of extreme pressure
densification and flaws in the sintered product. and temperature. Our current effort is directed toward measuring the
SiH, and NH, were chosen as reactants since both have absorp- properties of metals in a region of equation of state (EOS) space which
tion bands around 10 pm and because the decomposition of SiH, under is not well described by existing theory and which previously has been
50-watt CO, irradiation had been previously reported [ 11. We have inaccessible to experimental methods.
synthesized batches of silicon nitride powder where the average indi- We have used the Janus laser facility at the Lawrence Livermore
vidual particles range in size from 100 to 200 A and are spherical, Laboratory to irradiate thin aluminum disk targets. When the laser light
amorphous, and loosely agglomerated. These appear toideal be powder is absorbed atthe front surface of the disk, a strong shock wave issen1
characteristics for sintering. into the bulk material. An altrafast optical streak camera is used tc
Characterization of the reaction zone requires a knowledge of the observe the transit time (and hence, velocity) of the shock through thir
energy deposition rate in the gas. The absorption coefficients of the steps on the back surface of the target. The measured shock velocitier
reactants were measured as a function of pressure, CO, laser line, and are consistent with shock pressures of 20 to 25 Mbar in the aluminum
degree of laser heating. SiH, absorbs more strongly than ammonia This pressure is nearly an orderof magnitude greater than thatachievec
(-20-30 times at 0.1 atm). The silane absorption coefficient for the by other more conventional laboratory techniques. Computations in
P(20) laser line reaches a maximum value of 16 cm-' atm-I at 0.03 atm dicate that much higher pressures are achievable with larger laser driv
and falls off at higher and lower pressures. The absorptionof the P( 18) ers. Also, the pressures generated are,expected to be less dependen
laser line is 10 to 30 percent weaker. The ammonia absorption coefficient on the atomic number of the target material than with other methods
ranges from0.2 cm-'atm-'to 0.4 cm-' atm-I. This pressure dependence an important advantage for light metals.
is due to pressure broadening of several molecular absorptions. Pulses Although these experiments will provide data onor near the principal
of 90 mJ were 30 percent more strongly absorbed by silane than were shock adiabat, similar techniques should allow a much larger region of
the 22 mJ pulses, which indicates that the absorption coefficient in- EOS space to be explored. Fast electrons from the absorption processes
creases with the increasing temperature of the gas. may be used in appropriately designed targets to preheat the material
A series of experiments measuring the threshold laserflux to achieve before the shock passes.Regions above theprincipal Hugoniot can thus
powder synthesisconfirmed that theheating of the gasby the laser could be studied. Investigation of the shock material after the shock passes
be described from heat capacity considerations. Deviations from this could provideinformation along the adiabatic shock release paths, prob-
simple dependence atlow pressures was causedby thermal conductivity ing yet anotherregion of EOS space. In addition, adiabatic compression
to the cell wall. The good agreement between measured and calculated studies may be possible.
threshold values indicates efficient coupling to the reactant gas continued Materials a t these conditions of high-energy density exhibit some
to the threshold temperature. rather interesting transport phenomena. A substantial portion of our
A visible emission accompanies particle formation in both SiH, and current effort is aimed at understanding these transport properties,
SiH,-NH,, mixtures at energy fluxes of about twice the threshold flux. which include lateral energy transport in, laser-generated plasmas and

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 1979 IEEEiOSA CONFERENCE ON LASER ENGINEERING AND APPLICATIONS 2D

the transport of high-energy electrons through the metal disk targets. 1.5 Laser Photoacoustic Measurementson Tissue. T. W. Ducas, Phys-
Results of our work in these areas will be presented. ics Department, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02181 and R e -
Our current understanding of the potential limits of these techniques searchLaboratory of Electronics,MassachusettsInstitute oj
will also be discussed. Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, L. W. Ryan, Jr., Physics Dept.,
Spectroscopy Laboratory, Mmssackusetts Institute of Tec,hnology,
Cumbridge, MA 02139, and M. V. Raghavanand G . J. Jako, Oto-
IuryngologyReseurcI~ Laboratory, Boston Uni~’ersity MedicalCenter,
INVITED PAPER Boston, MA 02/18
(15 min)
1.3 ,Rapid Solidification Laser Processing of Materials. E. M. Breinan,
United Technologies Research Center,East Hartford, CT 06108
We have used photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) [ I ] to perform in-
(30 min )
frared absorption measurements on rat and human tissue. The radiation
source was a single-line CO, laser operating on about 50 separate tran-
The initial concept of using high-power densities characteristic of
sitions in the 9.2- to 10.8-pm range.
modern lasers to produce rapid chilling in metals and alloys first led to
We observed characteristic spectralfeatures of different kinds of rat
the
development of thelazerglaze process. This process es-
tissue: liver, cartilage, and muscle. In addition, preliminary results in-
sentially involves surface melting conducted at high efficiency so as to
dicate a difference between the spectra of normal and cancerous human
produce extremely rapid solidification and subsequent solid-state cool-
rectal tissue.
ing. Laserglazing, as a result of the in situ nature of the melting and the
The experimental arrangement is schematized in Fig. 1. The laser
lack of a foreign interface between the liquid and the chill, became the
output was chopped and directed onto the tissue sample in a cell con-
most controllable and predictable technique for producing rapidchilling
taining an enclosed volume of gas and a microphone. When radiation
effects in materials. A variety of microstructures have been produced
is absorbed by the tissue it heats the gas, causing pressure changes at
by thelazerglaze process, includingamorphoussurfacelayers on
the chopping frequency which are detectedby the microphone. We used
bulk crystalline substrates, supersaturated solid solutions, ultrafine en-
phase sensitive detection to monitor the photoacoustic signal.
riched eutectics, fine dendritic structures, and ultramicrocrystalline
PAS has several particular advantages as atechnique to observetissue
structures. The potential for future application of the LASERGLAZE
spectra: (1) it can be used on samples in any physical form; and (2) it
process lies primarily in its ability to control microstructures on a finer
provides a true measure of absorption, since onlythe absorbedradiation
scale than has previously been possible. There are numerous examples
is transformed into the acoustic signal. Furthermore, since the photo-
available of new, interesting, and often unique structures produced by
acoustic signal is determined largely by the heat flow from the sample
laserglazing.
to the surrouding gas, information can be obtained on the thermal prop-
The primary limitation of this technique, and all other known tech-
erties of the sample. These properties include the thermal conductivity
niques for producing rapidly solidified and quenched alloys, is that the
and the absorption coefficient. Such information may prove useful in
rapidly quenched material is limited to thin sections since the maximum
characterizing different forms of tissue and in the influence of radiation
cooling rate which can be achieved in a material is determined by its
on the tissue. This is of particular interest because of the use of CO,
internal thermal properties and by the section thickness being cooled.
lasers in surgery. Work is in progress to determine the thermal con-
The higher the cooling rate one wishes to achieve for its effect on a
ductivities by observing the PAS signal as a function of chopping
microstructure, the thinner the section one must accept.
frequency.
This
presentation will discussthe
lazerglaze process,
as de-
scribed above, and an important derivative of this process, which is
Reference
aimed at fabrication of bulk, rapidly chilled structures. Obviously, such
structures must be fabricated from thin, rapidly quenched sections. The [I] A. Rosencwaig, “Photo-Acoustic Spectroscopy of Solids,” Pl~ysicsToday,
unique aspect of the new concept termed layerglaze is the vol. 28, pp. 23-30, Sept. 1975.
formation of a bulk, rapidly chilled structure which is formed in situ,
obviating the need for subsequent consolidation which could influence Choppet
the rapidly quenched microstructure. -
Theconcept of thelayerglaze process is thesequentialbuildup splitter Beam Photo-occoustic
Beam splltter
of bulk, rapidly chilled microstructures by laserglazing a specially de-
signed feedstock alloy onto arapidly rotating mandrel. Since the material
is added sequentially in thin sections and the substrate is allowed to
Power
cool in between the deposition of successive layers, each layer will be beam meter
rapidly chilled, while still being fully bonded to and often epitaxially
grown on the substrate material by virtue of a small amount of controlled
melting at the interface. Pre-amplifier
The goal of the process is to produce more homogeneous structures
in bulk parts in order to combine high strength with adequate low cycle
analyzer
- __
fatigue resistance and fracture toughness so that the strengths can be
used to full advantage in highly stressed parts subject to fatigue, suchas
aircraft gas turbine disks. Some preliminary model experiments on the
___
Recorder
VIEI -
volimeter
Recorder
Lock-in
layerglaze process and alloy design work on associated alloys will be
presented.
Laser

Fig. 1.
INVITED PAPER
1.4 Latest Advances in Laser Surgery. G. J. Jako, Otolaryngology
ReseurchLaboratory,BostonUniversityMedicalCenter,Boston, 1.6 Carbon Dioxide Laser Effect on Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia:
MA 02118 Physical Considerations andTherapeuticEffectiveness. J.H Bellina,
(30 mini Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA 70114 and Y.J. Seto,
Tulane University, New Orleans, L A 70112
Recent advances in the application of lasers in the field of surgery (15 min)
have produced results both dramatic and encouraging. An overview of An experimental program designed to evaluateCO, laser energy con-
the field will be given. version into photophonetic effects in tissues is discussed. For the pre-
Authorized licensed use limited to: Vienna University Library. Downloaded on November 27,2022 at 10:55:51 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.