Open AccessAsymmetric femtosecond laser ablation of silicon surface governed by the evolution of surface nanostructures
Author(s) -
Chenyun Zhang,
Jian-Wu Yao,
Changqing Li,
Qiao-Feng Dai,
Sheng Lan,
Vyacheslav A. Trofimov,
Tatiana M. Lysak
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.21.004439
Subject(s) - ablation , materials science , optics , femtosecond , laser ablation , silicon , perpendicular , laser , optoelectronics , physics , geometry , mathematics , engineering , aerospace engineering
The femtosecond laser ablation of silicon surface near the ablation threshold was investigated and the preferential ablation along different directions was observed in different stages. It was found that the ripples formed in the initial stage facilitate the ablation along the direction perpendicular to the ripples, leading to the formation of an elliptical ablation area. With increasing length and depth of the ripples, however, nanohole arrays formed in the ripples will modify the distribution of electric field which benefits the ablation along the direction parallel to the ripples. Consequently, the ablation area is gradually changed to a circular one after irradiating sufficient number of pulses.