The problem of deep laser melting of the metals and alloys is theoretically and experimentally studied. It is shown that the process of laser melting consists of two stages: the formation of a melt buffer layer, and its penetration under the action of the saturated vapor pressure. There has been investigated an optimal regime of pulsed laser welding without melt species ejection as a regime when the affecting pulse is close in its form to the step‐like pulse consisting of two parts. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.