Red and Green Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Pure Copper in Combination with Chemical Post-Processing for RF Cavity Fabrication

Linear particle accelerators (Linacs) are primarily composed of radio frequency cavities (cavities). Compared to traditional manufacturing, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) holds the potential to fabricate cavities in a single piece, enhancing Linac performance and significantly reducing investment costs. However, the question of whether red or green laser PBF yields superior results for pure copper remains a subject of ongoing debate. Eight 4.2 GHz single-cell cavities (SCs) were manufactured from pure copper using both red and green PBF (SCs R and SCs G). Subsequently, the surface roughness of the SCs was reduced through a chemical post-processing method (Hirtisation) and annealed at 460 °C to maximize their quality factor (Q0). The geometric accuracy of the printed SCs was evaluated using optical methods and resonant frequency (fR) measurements. Surface conductivity was determined by measuring the quality factor (Q0) of the SCs. Laser scanning microscopy was utilized for surface roughness characterization. The impact of annealing was quantified using Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and Electron Backscatter Diffraction to evaluate chemical surface properties and grain size. Both the SCs R and SCs G achieved the necessary geometric accuracy and thus fR precision. The SCs R achieved a 95% Q0 after a material removal of 40 µm. The SCs G achieved an approximately 80% Q0 after maximum material removal of 160 µm. Annealing increased the Q0 by an average of about 5%. The additive manufacturing process is at least equivalent to conventional manufacturing for producing cavities in the low-gradient range. The presented cavities justify the first high-gradient tests.