Laser Ablation: Mechanisms and Applications

Lasers can readily remove very thin layers from small areas

of a material and can thus be used both to control the

structure of the surface and to determine its composition.

Laser ablation thus has a wide variety of applications -

from re-shaping the cornea of the eye to correct vision and

micro-machining electronic devices, to detection of minute

contaminants on catalysts. This book is the proceedings of

one ofthe first workshops held on this topic.