Formation of highly organised,periodic microstructures on steel surfaces upon pulsed laser irradiation

We present results on the growth of highly organised, reproducible, periodic microstructure arrays on a stainless steel substrate using multi-pulsed Nd:YAG (wavelength of 1064 nm, pulse duration of 7 ns, repetition rate of 25 kHz, beam quality factor of M ²∼1.5) laser irradiation in standard atmospheric environment (room temperature and normal pressure) with laser spot diameter of the target being ∼50 μm. The target surface was irradiated at laser fluence of ∼2.2 J/cm² and intensity of ∼0.31×10⁹ W/cm², resulting in the controllable generation of arrays of microstructures with average periods ranging from ∼30 to ∼70 μm, depending on the hatching overlap between the consecutive scans. The received tips of the structures were either below or at the level of the original substrate surface, depending on the experimental conditions. The peculiarity of our work is on the utilised approach for scanning the laser beam over the surface. A possible mechanism for the formation of the structures is proposed.     

纳米表面二维周期半圆凹槽增强硅薄膜太阳能电池光吸收

利用时域有限差分方法, 研究硅薄膜上下表面周期半圆凹槽结构对于太阳光吸收的增强效应. 研究发现这种结构可以实现太阳光宽波段的光吸收增强, 通过调节SiO₂表面减反层厚度和凹槽半径长度来实现薄膜太阳能电池最大的光吸收, 并实现了波长在300-1000 nm范围的太阳光吸收总能量比没有这种 结构下硅薄膜光吸收提高了约117%. 关键词： 硅薄膜 半圆凹槽 吸收增强     

飞秒激光烧蚀硅材料表面形成周期波纹形貌研究

基于Sipe-Drude模型和表面等离子体激元(SPP)的干涉理论分别对单脉冲飞秒激光诱导硅表面形成低频率周期性波纹进行分析研究.探究了波长800 nm、脉宽150 fs的单个飞秒激光烧蚀硅造成不同激发水平下波纹形貌的变化,考虑到材料的光学性质变化(由Drude模型得到的介电常数变化),引入包含双温方程的电子数密度模型.计算结果表明,Sipe-Drude和SPP理论都适用于分析和解释高激发态下周期性波纹,但Sipe-Drude理论更适合分析更为广泛的周期性波纹结构.同时,波纹延伸方向总是垂直于入射激光偏振方向,其空间周期略小于激光波长,并受到入射激光通量的影响.在激光通量为0.38 J/cm~2时,波纹周期达到最小值.另外,还得到了不同入射角度的波纹周期变化情况,并在不同偏振态下随入射角度增大时波纹周期呈现相反的变化趋势.该研究对于理解飞秒激光造成硅表面形成周期结构及其在加工硅材料领域具有重要参考意义.     

The structure of titanium nickelide surface layers formed by pulsed electron-beam melting

X-ray structure analysis technique has been developed for a material heterogeneous over the depth. The structure of the TiNi intermetallide subjected to surface modification by an electron beam has been investigated. The following three layers differentiated in the microcrystalline structure have been singled out: (i) the external sharply textured layer 1–3 μm in thickness with a texture in the [100] B2 direction and a lattice periodicity parameter reduced by 1% in the direction of the normal, (ii) the intermediate gradient-stressed layer 10–15 μm in thickness with the texture of the initial ingot, and (iii) the original material. The crystal lattice of the surface as well as of the intermediate layer is in a state stretched along the surface and compressed along the normal to it. This lattice distortion is maximal in the surface layer and decreases towards the bulk of the material.     

Characterization of regular periodic surface structure by multi-pulse laser irradiation of a Zinc target

The circular-like sidewall and trench around the periphery of the crater are obtained on Zinc metal surface subjected to fewer than 200 cumulative pulses laser ablation.These patterns can be attributed to the higher secondary heating by regular plasma spherical pressure.The 600 pulses laser ablation,however,results in the formation of undesirable bulk wrinkles of super-heated liquid at the side of the trench.These features may be applied in micro-manufacturing of high localizability and selectivity using laser zone texturing.     

Formation of dislocations with local mechanical damage to a silicon surface at room temperature

A study is made of the formation of dislocations in silicon with local damage to the surface at room temperature and subsequent annealing within the range 1073–1473 K. The damages to the surface are modeled with the use of micro-hardness indentations. Measurements of mean linear dislocation density in a ray of the indentation rosette show that the number of dislocations in the rosette is independent of both the temperature and duration of isothermal annealing. It was found that annealing at 573–773 K leads to partial relaxation of elastic stresses from the indentation due to the formation of sections of silicon with a hexagonal structure near the indentation. Further annealing at high temperatures leads to the disappearance of these sections and the formation of a normal dislocation rosette, with the number of dislocations in the rays corresponding to the case of one-stage annealing. The results are empirical confirmation of the hypothesis of incomplete shear. In accordance with the latter, dislocations are formed during deformation at room temperature, not during subsequent annealing.Zaporozh'e University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 78–82, May, 1992.     

Coloration of a metal surface under pulsed laser irradiation

The regimes of irradiation using nanosecond laser pulses for creation of color images on stainless-steel and titanium surfaces upon laser engraving are studied. Parameters of radiation that correspond to the spectrum of resulting colors on the sample surface are experimentally determined. The spectral analysis of the irradiated area is performed and probe microscopy is used to study the surface relief. Complicated surface relief that results from irradiation indicates the contribution of several optical effects responsible for the surface color under laser engraving.     

Formation of a periodic wave structure on the dry surface of a solid by TEA-CO2-laser pulses

The formation of periodic wave patterns on surfaces of insulators and metals by means of TEA-CO₂-laser pulses was observed. The wavelength of the patterns equals that of the laser radiation. The phenomenon is illustrated by samples of quartz glass and copper.     

Effect of high energy ion irradiation on silicon substrate in a pulsed plasma device

We have performed an experimental analysis on the investigation of high energy ion beam irradiation on Si(1 0 0) substrates at room temperature using a low energy plasma focus (PF) device operating in methane gas. The surface modifications induced by the ion beams are characterized using standard surface science diagnostic tools, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photothermal beam deflection, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and atomic force microscope (AFM) and the results are reported. In particular, it has been found that with silicon targets, the application of PF carbon ion beams results in the formation of a surface layer of hexagonal (6H) silicon carbide, with embedded self-organized step/terrace structures.     

Studies of pulsed laser melting and rapid solidification using amorphous silicon

Pulsed laser melting of ion implantation-amorphized silicon layers, and the subsequent solidification of undercooled liquid silicon, have been studied experimentally and theoretically. Measurements of the time of the onset of melting of amorphous silicon layers, during an incident laser pulse, have been combined with measurements of the duration of melting, and with modified melting model calculations to demonstrate that the thermal conductivity, K_a, of amorphous silicon is very low (K_a0.02 W/cm K). K_a is also found to be the dominant parameter determining the dynamical response of amorphous silicon to pulsed laser radiation; the latent heat of fusion and melting temperature of amorphous silicon are relatively unimportant. Transmission electron microscopy indicates that bulk (volume) nucleation occurs directly from the highly undercooled liquid silicon that can be prepared by pulsed laser melting of amorphous silicon layers at low laser energy densities. A modified thermal melting model has been constructed to simulate this effect and is presented. Nucleation of crystalline silicon apparently occurs at a nucleation temperature, T_n, that is higher than the temperature, T_a, of the liquid-to-amorphous phase transition. The model calculations demonstrate that the release of latent heat by bulk nucleation occurring during the melt-in process is essential to obtaining agreement with experimentally observed depths of melting. These calculations also show that this release of latent heat accompanying bulk nucleation can result in the existence of buried molten layers of silicon in the interior of the sample after the surface has solidified. It is pointed out that the occurrence of bulk nucleation implies that the liquid-to-amorphous phase transition (produced using picosecond or ultraviolet nanosecond laser pulses) cannot be explained by purely thermodynamic considerations.     

Formation of two-dimensional periodic nanostructures on fused quartz,polyimide, and polycrystalline diamond by pulsed four-wave interference laser modification

Atomic force microscopy is used to examine the topography of submicron periodic structures formed on the surfaces of synthetic polycrystalline diamond and polyimide films. The films are deposited on fused quartz substrates by four-wave interference modification using a pulsed 308-nm UV XeCl excimer laser. It is demonstrated that a two-dimensional periodic relief with a submicron period can be formed on the diamond surface directly by laser evaporation in the absence of a photoresist. Depending on the exposure, two mechanisms of polyimide film modification are observed. At exposures less than 100 mJ/cm², the relief is formed due to swelling at the positions of interference maxima. At exposures greater than 100 mJ/cm², holes are formed in the films. A periodic relief on the fused quartz surface is formed by using a UV photoresist exposed to pulsed interference laser radiation and subsequent Ar ion etching.     

Hyperdoping of silicon with deep-level impurities by pulsed YAG laser melting

Hyperdoping with deep-level impurity is a promising method to prepare intermediate band semiconductors. We prepared silicon hyperdoped with deep-level impurities, sulfur and titanium, by ion implantation followed by pulsed YAG laser melting. The processes of sulfur and titanium hyperdoping are comparatively studied. The amorphous sulfur and titanium ion-implanted layers changed to monocrystal by following pulsed laser melting. The depth profile of sulfur impurity after pulsed laser melting is similar to that of ion-implanted sample, while large segregation is observed for titanium hyperdoping. The crystallinity and degree of segregation depend on the laser shot number and initially implanted titanium dose. There is a trade-off between crystallinity and depth profile of impurity for titanium hyperdoping. From a viewpoint material processing, formation of high-quality silicon monocrystal hyperdoped with sulfur is easier than that with titanium. Correlation between the mid-infrared optical absorption and photoconductivity is also discussed for sulfur-hyperdoped sample.     

Femtosecond pulsed laser-induced periodic surface structures on GaN/sapphire

Femtosecond pulsed laser-induced periodic surface structure on GaN/sapphire is reported in this paper. It was found that the period of the laser-induced ripples was much dependent on the incident laser fluence. Through finely adjusting laser fluence and pulse number, uniform ripples could be formed on the sapphire surface. We attributed the formation of such periodic two-dimensional structures to optical interference of the incident laser light with scattered waves from a surface disturbance. Also, it was found that the GaN capping layer played a very important role in forming the periodic structures on the sapphire surface.     

Formation of two-dimensional periodic microstructures by a single shot of three interfered femtosecond laser pulses on the surface of silica glass

Two-dimensional periodic microstructures, including both microholes and micro-orbicular platforms, have been fabricated on the surface of silica glass by a single shot of three interfered femtosecond laser pulses. The three-dimensional structure of a fabricated hexagonal lattice can be revealed by atomic force microscopy. The formation of the microstructure and the dynamic process of the interaction between the femtosecond laser and the silica glass have been discussed.     

Diffraction of light by a perfectly conducting biaxial periodic surface

The Rayleigh theory is numerically implemented for a crossed sinusoidal grating. It is shown that the scattering pattern of such a structure can be very sensitive to the polarization of a normally-incident plane wave when the surface periodicities are of the order of the wavelength.     

Polarized light-scattering measurements of dielectric spheres upon a silicon surface

The polarization of light scattered into directions out of the plane of incidence by polystyrene latex spheres upon a silicon substrate was measured for p -polarized incident light. The experimental data show good agreement with theoretical predictions for three sizes of spheres. These results demonstrate that the polarization of light scattered by particles can be used to determine the size of particulate contaminants on silicon wafers. Theoretical models, based on successive degrees of approximation, indicate that the mean distance of a particle from the surface is the primary determinant of the scattered light polarization for small out-of-plane scattering angles.     

Dynamics of the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures on dielectrics and semiconductors upon femtosecond laser pulse irradiation sequences

The formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) upon irradiation of fused silica and silicon with multiple (N _DPS) irradiation sequences consisting of linearly polarized femtosecond laser pulse pairs (pulse duration ～150 fs, central wavelength ～800 nm) is studied experimentally. Nearly equal-energy double-pulse sequences are generated allowing the temporal pulse delay Δt between the cross-polarized individual fs-laser pulses to be varied from ?40 ps to +40 ps with a resolution of ～0.2 ps. The surface morphologies of the irradiated surface areas are characterized by means of scanning electron and scanning force microscopy. Particularly for dielectrics in the sub-ps delay range striking differences in the orientation and spatial characteristics of the LIPSS can be observed. For fused silica, a significant decrease of the LIPSS spatial periods from ～790 nm towards ～550 nm is demonstrated for delay changes of less than ～2 ps. In contrast, for silicon under similar irradiation conditions, the LIPSS periods remain constant (～760 nm) for delays up to 40 ps. The results prove the impact of laser-induced electrons in the conduction band of the solid and associated transient changes of the optical properties on fs-LIPSS formation.     

Distinctive features of a pulsed beam scattering on a plane surface (two-dimensional case)

A two-dimensional problem of scattering of pulsed beams having arbitrary time and spatial form on a plane surface of a lossy dielectric halfspace is solved. A pulsed beam has been modeled by letting an E- or H-polarized plane pulse with homogeneous front pass through a space filter. The reflected pulse is found using an expansion of the incident pulsed beam over time-harmonic plane waves.