Femtosecond laser processing of controllable size microcavities in quartz fiber cyanate resin composites

Quartz fiber cyanate resin composites (QF/CE composites) are widely used in aerospace and radar radomes due to their excellent mechanical properties, heat resistance, and dielectric performance. As technology advances, higher demands are placed on the processing accuracy and complex structure manufacturing capabilities of these composites. Laser processing technology, with its high precision, non-contact, and programmable features, offers a new approach for creating high-precision conformal microcavities. This paper first investigated fundamental parameters of laser etched microcavities, including single-pulse energy, scanning speed, scan count, and repetition frequency, analyzing their effects on geometric structure and surface quality while elucidating the underlying mechanisms. Subsequently, microcavities with line widths/depths of 40-60 μm and line spacing of 150 μm ±20 μm were fabricated on quartz fiber cyanate resin composites, with surface quality analysis conducted on all cavity edges. Finally, controlled-sized microgroove arrays were patterned on the material surface based on typical antenna patterns, establishing a technical foundation for subsequent metal filling processes.