Laser-induced thermochemical wet etching of titanium in phosphoric acid has been investigated to examine the feasibility of this method for fabrication of microstructures. Cutting, drilling, and milling of titanium foil were carried out while examining the influence of process parameters on etch width, etch depth, and edge straightness. Laser power, scanning speed of workpiece, and etchant concentration were chosen as major process parameters influencing on temperature distribution and reaction rate. Etch width increased almost linearly with laser power showing little dependence on scanning speed while etch depth showed wide variation with both laser power and scanning speed. A well-defined etch profile with good surface quality was obtained at high concentration condition. Fabrication of a hole, micro cantilever beam, and rectangular slot with dimension of less than 100㎛ has been demonstrated.
