Regular arrays of triangular‐microstructure formed on silicon (111) surface via ultrafast laser irradiation in KOH solution

The regular micrometer‐scale triangular arrays were formed using ultrafast femtosecond laser irradiation on (111) surface of silicon wafer immersed in KOH solution (0.1 g/ml). At low laser fluence, the resulting surface is covered by triangular pits microstructures, whereas at high laser fluence, the structures are transformed to multilayer‐triangular stacks‐microstructures. The number of triangular stacks layer increased as the laser fluence increased. The formation of triangle microstructure arrays depends on both silicon surface crystallographic orientation and the concentration of KOH solution. Either for lower KOH solution concentration (0.02 g/ml) or other silicon crystallographic orientation, triangle arrays cannot be obtained. We attribute the formation of triangular microstructure arrays to the laser‐assisted chemical etching process. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.