Fabrication of Micro-Holes with High Aspect Ratios in Cf/SiC Composites Using Coaxial Waterjet-Assisted Nanosecond Laser Drilling

In the present study, the coaxial waterjet-assisted nanosecond laser drilling of micro-holes in C_f/SiC composites, coupled with nanosecond laser drilling in air for fabricating micro-holes with high aspect ratios, were investigated. The surface morphology, reaction products, and micro-hole shapes were thoroughly examined. The results reveal that, for the coaxial waterjet-assisted nanosecond laser drilling of micro-holes in the C_f/SiC composite, the increasing of waterjet velocity enhances the material removal rate and micro-hole depth, but reduces the micro-hole diameter and taper angle. The coaxial waterjet isolates the laser-ablated region and cools down the corresponding region rapidly, leading to the formation of a mixture of SiC, SiO₂, and Si on the surface. As the coaxial waterjet velocity increases, the morphology of residual surface products changes from a net-like structure to individual spheres. Coaxial waterjet-assisted nanosecond laser drilling, with a waterjet velocity of 9.61 m/s, achieves micro-holes with a good balance between efficiency and quality. For the fabrication of micro-holes with a high aspect ratio in C_f/SiC composites, micro-holes fabricated by nanosecond laser drilling in air exhibit obvious taper features, which should be ascribed to the combined effects of spattering slag, plasma, and energy dissipation. The application of coaxial waterjet-assisted nanosecond laser drilling on micro-holes fabricated by laser drilling in air effectively expands the hole diameter. The fabricated micro-holes have very small taper angles, with clean wall surfaces and almost no reaction products. This approach, combining nanosecond laser drilling in air followed by coaxial waterjet-assisted nanosecond laser drilling, offers a promising technique for fabricating high-quality micro-holes with high aspect ratios in C_f/SiC composites.