Studies on CO2 laser marking

The nature of CO₂ laser marking was studied with a view to putting these lasers to practical use in the semiconductor industry. The marking is found to be due to surface spattering rather than burning, which is the main factor in YAG laser marking. The visibility greatly increases by the application of a surface treatment such as marker ink, varnish or poster color. The CO₂ laser may therefore be used in place of the YAG laser, now widely used for marking, with some merits: CO₂ laser marking is cheaper and faster, and in addition there is no danger of injury from irradiating laser light.