Consolidation of flame hydrolysis deposited silica with a 9.3 µm wavelength CO 2 laser

Consolidation of flame hydrolysis deposited silica soot with a 9.3 μm CO 2 laser has been demonstrated. A range of laser parameters were investigated and the surface roughness of the resulting silica layers were characterised with a stylus profiler and white light interferometer. The surface roughness parameters were Ra = 68.9 nm, Rq = 83.8 nm perpendicular to the trajectory of the translated laser beam for a speed of 300 mm s -1 and an average laser power of 42.5 W, and Ra = 29.5 nm, Rq = 36.18 nm along the trajectory of the translated laser beam for a speed of 250 mm s -1 and an average laser power of 35.8 W.