Fabrication of grating structures on silicon carbide by femtosecond laser irradiation and wet etching

A method for fabricating deep grating structures on a silicon carbide(SiC) surface by a femtosecond laser and chemical-selective etching is developed.Periodic lines corresponding to laser-induced structure change(LISC)are formed by femtosecond laser irradiation,and then the SiC material in the LISC zone is removed by a mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid to form grating grooves.Grating grooves with a high-aspect ratio of approximately 25 are obtained.To obtain a small grating period,femtosecond laser exposure through a phase mask was used to fabricate grating structures with a 1.07 μm period on the surface of the SiC.     

Fabrication and characterization of polydimethylsiloxane concave microlens array

Concave microlens array is fabricated with PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) material. Resist thermal reflow method and reverse pattern replication method are employed to fabricate the concave microlens array. The optical performance of the PDMS concave microlens array is analyzed with ray-trace method. Profile of the PDMS concave microlens array is observed by metallographic microscope and Talystep. It is indicated by the results that the surface profile of the PDMS concave microlens array is clear and distinct. Optical properties are also tested with Beamprofiler system. The shine spots on the focal plane of the microscope objective are of highly uniformity, and essentially coincide well with the simulation result. The PDMS concave microlens array has potential application in many optoelectronic devices, such as diffusers and scanners.     

Periodic nanostructures self-formed on silicon and silicon carbide by femtosecond laser irradiation

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were formed on Si and SiC surfaces by irradiations with femtosecond laser pulses in air. Different kinds of self-organized structures appeared on Si and SiC at laser fluences slightly higher than the damage threshold, which was measured by confocal laser scanning microscope. The characteristic spatial periodicity of every observed structure was estimated reading the peak values of the 2D Fourier transform power spectra obtained from SEM images. The evolution of the spatial periodicity was finally studied with respect to both the laser fluence and the number of laser pulses. As already observed for metals, the behavior of the spatial periodicity on laser fluence can be related to the parametric decay of laser light into surface plasma waves. Our results suggest a wide applicability of the parametric decay model on different materials, making the model a useful tool in view of different applications of LIPSS.     

Infrared absorption by sulfur-doped silicon formed by femtosecond laser irradiation

We microstructured silicon surfaces with femtosecond laser irradiation in the presence of SF₆. These surfaces display strong absorption of infrared radiation at energies below the band gap of crystalline silicon. We report the dependence of this below-band gap absorption on microstructuring conditions (laser fluence, number of laser pulses, and background pressure of SF₆) along with structural and chemical characterization of the material. Significant amounts of sulfur are incorporated into the silicon over a wide range of microstructuring conditions; the sulfur is embedded in a disordered nanocrystalline layer less than 1 m thick that covers the microstructures. The most likely mechanism for the below-band gap absorption is the formation of a band of sulfur impurity states overlapping the silicon band edge, reducing the band gap from 1.1 eV to approximately 0.4 eV. PACS 78.68.+m; 81.15.Fg; 81.40.Tv; 81.65.Cf; 85.60.Gz     

Ablation enhancement by defocused irradiation assisted femtosecond laser fabrication of stainless alloy

We evaluate the effects of the holes geometry drilled by a femtosecond laser on a stainless alloy with various defocused irradiation time, which ranges from 0 min to 1 h. The laser ablation efficiency is increased by a factor of3 when the irradiation time is elevated from 0 to 30 min. Also, the morphology of the hole is observed by a scanning electron microscope, where the result indicates that the defocused irradiation time has a significant influence on the morphology changes. The reason for such changes is discussed based on the pretreatment effect and the confined plasma plume. As an application example, the microchannel is fabricated by a femtosecond laser combined with the defocused irradiation to demonstrate the advantage of the proposed method in fabricating functional structures.     

紫外衍射微透镜阵列的设计与制备

为了提高紫外焦平面阵列的填充因子,可以通过微透镜阵列与紫外焦平面阵列的集成,以改善紫外焦平面阵列的探测性能。根据标量衍射理论设计了用于日盲型紫外焦平面阵列的128×128衍射微透镜阵列,其工作中心波长为350nm,单元透镜F数为F/3.56。采用组合多层镀膜与剥离的工艺方法制备了128×128衍射微透镜阵列,对具体的工艺流程和制备误差进行了分析,测量了衍射微透镜阵列的光学性能。实验结果表明:衍射微透镜阵列的衍射效率为88%,与理论值95%有偏差,制备误差主要来自对准误差和线宽误差。紫外衍射微透镜阵列具有均匀的焦斑分布,与紫外焦平面阵列单片集成能较好地改善器件的整体性能。     

Design and fabrication of a negative microlens array

An operation model of a negative microlens array is demonstrated. The array consists of two kinds of materials with different refractive indices. First of all, a positive microlens array with 256×256 elements serving as a pattern is fabricated by argon ion beam etching on the quartz. The diameter and average corona height of the element are 28 and 0.638 μm, respectively. The spacing between two neighboring elements is 2 μm. In the second phase, after being coated by epoxy, the positive microlens array pattern is spun and baked, leading to a complex negative microlens array. Surface stylus measurement shows that the surface of the positive quartz microlens array is smooth and uniform. Focal length measurement of the negative microlens array indicates that the focal length region with −731±3 μm is in good agreement with the theoretical calculation value of −729 μm.     

Rapid laser fabrication of microlens array using colorless liquid photopolymer for AMOLED devices

Microlens array (MLA) is microfabricated using Ultra Violet (UV) laser for display device applications. A colorless liquid photopolymer, Norland Optical Adhesive (NOA) 60, is spin-coated and pre-cured via UV light for completing the laser process. The laser energy controlled by a galvano scanner is radiated on the surface of the NOA 60. A rapid thermal volume expansion inside the material creates microlens array when the Gaussian laser energy is absorbed. The fabrication process conditions for various shapes and densities of MLA using a non-contact surface profiler are investigated. Furthermore, we analyze the optical and display characteristics for the Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) devices. Optimized condition furnishes the OLED with the enhancement of light emission by 15%. We show that UV laser technique, which is installed with NOA 60 MLA layer, is eligible for improving the performance of the next generation display devices.     

飞秒平顶光束经微透镜阵列在熔融石英中的成丝及其超连续辐射

实验研究了平顶激光光束经微透镜阵列在熔融石英中成丝的演化以及超连续辐射的产生,并进一步与高斯光束的成丝和超连续辐射进行了对比研究.分别对这两种光束的多丝传输进行了横向和纵向成像.结果表明,使用平顶光束可以获得更为均匀的多丝分布,成丝的起点也更为一致;尤其重要的是,相对于高斯光束,平顶光束可以使用更高的入射激光脉冲能量而不会造成介质的损伤,从而可以获得更高脉冲能量和更高转换效率的超连续辐射.     

Low-temperature fabrication of silicon nitride films by ArF excimer laser irradiation

The low-temperature fabrication of silicon nitride films by ArF excimer laser irradiation has been studied. Two fabrication methods are presented. One is photoenhanced direct nitridation of a silicon surface with NH₃ for very thin gate insulators, and the other is photo-enhanced deposition of silicon nitride films with Si₂H₆ and NH₃ gases for stable passivation films. The ArF excimer laser irradiation dissociates the NH3 gas producing NH and NH₂ radicals which proved effective in instigating the nitridation reaction. The quality of both films has been much improved and the growth temperature has been lowered by using laser irradiation. These photo-enhanced processes seem to be promising ULSI techniques because they do not depend on high temperatures and are free from possible reactor contamination.     

Nanostructuring of single-crystal silicon carbide by femtosecond laser irradiation in a liquid

The formation of nanostructures on the surface of single-crystal silicon carbide under ablation by femtosecond laser pulses in liquid ethanol has been experimentally investigated. A 800-nm Ti:sapphire laser with a pulse duration of 210 fs was used as a radiation source. Single-scan irradiation of SiC surface leads to the formation of periodic grooves with a period of about 200 nm. Double exposure with a sample rotation by 90° between the scans gives rise to a regular array of nanostructures with average lateral size of 10 to 15 nm. It is determined that the wettability of nanostructured SiC surface is improved in comparison with the initial surface. It is shown that nanostructuring of SiC surface leads to an increase in the red light transmission by a factor of more than 60.     

Enhanced near field mediated nanohole fabrication on silicon substrate by femtosecond laser pulse

Investigation of the process of nanohole formation on silicon surface mediated with near electromagnetic field enhancement in vicinity of gold particles is described. Gold nanospheres with diameters of 40, 80 and 200 nm are used. Irradiation of the samples with laser pulse at fluences below the ablation threshold for native Si surface, results in a nanosized surface modification. The nanostructure formation is investigated for the fundamental (λ = 800 nm, 100 fs) and the second harmonic (λ = 400 nm, 250 fs) of the laser radiation generated by ultrashort Ti:sapphire laser system. The near electric field distribution is analyzed by an Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulation code. The properties of the produced morphological changes on the Si surface are found to depend strongly on the polarization and the wavelength of the laser irradiation. When the laser pulse is linearly polarized the produced nanohole shape is elongated in the E-direction of the polarization. The shape of the hole becomes symmetrical when the laser radiation is circularly polarized. The size of the ablated holes depends on the size of the gold particles, as the smallest holes are produced with the smallest particles. The variation of the laser fluence and the particle size gives possibility of fabricating structures with lateral dimensions ranging from 200 nm to below 40 nm. Explanation of the obtained results is given on the basis simulations of the near field properties using FDTD model and Mie's theory.     

Multipulse irradiation of silicon by femtosecond laser pulses: Variation of surface morphology

The multipulse interaction of ultraviolet femtosecond laser pulses with silicon and generation of surface structures in a large area spot (?1 mm²) has been studied. The evolution of multiscale structures at the constant fluence strongly depends on the number of pulses, N. For N < 200, the “carpet-like” pattern of nano-, and micro-spikes is generated by the bubble explosion in a thin surface foam layer. The accumulation of bubbles and their explosion due to repetition of laser pulses cause damped membrane-like oscillations of the silicon surface. For 200 ≤ N, bifurcation of surface morphology takes place: (i) the surface tension waves of the wavelength ∼200 μm appear in the peripheral region of the spot. Generated by the surface thermal gradient in the liquid foam layer, they spread from the hot centerline towards the periphery of the spot. The change of their wavelength with propagation distance indicates onset of the Eckhaus instability caused by the phase modulation in multipulse interaction. (ii) Deep caverns appear in a highly superheated silicon layer in the central region of the spot due to the fast gas-liquid phase separation and the fragmentation process.     

Multilevel diffractive microlens fabrication by one-step laser-assisted chemical etching upon high-energy-beam sensitive glass

A new technique of laser-assisted single-step chemical etching for diffractive microlens fabrication upon high-energy-beam sensitive glass is reported. Laser direct writing with calibrated writing parameters results in gray-level mask patterns upon the ion-exchanged layer of the glass. The transmittance-dependent chemical etching upon the glass is then effectively utilized to yield suitable surface relief structures for multiple-phase-level diffractive optical elements. The one-step nonphotolithographic fabrication technique has been successfully applied for the realization of an eight-phase-level diffractive microlens.     

Self-formation of void femtosecond array in Al2O3 crystal by laser irradiation

The femtosecond laser induced void array inside Al2O3 crystals was discussed. The void array was formed spontaneously under the irradiation of a single beam of infrared femtosecond laser which was focused at a fixed point inside the Al2O3 crystal sample. It was found that the regular voids only could be fabricated near the sample surface, which was different from the situation in CaF2 single crystal reported before. The possible mechanism of the phenomena was also discussed.     

Topological evolution of self-induced silicon nanogratings during prolonged femtosecond laser irradiation

Gradual evolution of self-induced silicon surface topology from one-dimensional ridge-like to two-dimensional spike-like nanogratings and then to isotropic sets of micro-columns was observed by evenly increasing IR and UV femtosecond laser irradiation dose. This topological evolution exhibits clear indications of consequent melting and vaporization processes being set up during the prolonged laser irradiation. Monotonously decreasing cumulative IR and UV femtosecond laser-nanostructuring thresholds may indicate an increase of optical absorbance of the laser-nanostructured silicon surfaces versus the increasing laser dose, consistent with the consequent onset of the abovementioned thermal modification processes.     

Self-formation of void array in Al2O3 crystal by femtosecond laser irradiation

The femtosecond laser induced void array inside Al2O3 crystals was discussed.The void array was formed spontaneously under the irradiation of a single beam of infrared femtosecond laser which was focused at a fixed point inside the Al2O3 crystal sample.It was found that the regular voids only could be fabricated near the sample surface,which was different from the situation in CaF2 single crystal reported before.The possible mechanism of the phenomena was also discussed.     

金纳米棒的飞秒激光组装研究

金属纳米粒子对于研究表面等离子体共振具有非常重要的意义,其自组装形成的功能组装体能够展现出更加优异的整体协同性能.本文通过飞秒激光加工对金纳米棒直接进行组装,不引入其它的修饰剂,过程简单、快速(约1 min),不仅保留了金纳米棒表面等离子特性,且可以实现金纳米棒的任意精细图案化.将组装的微纳结构用于微流控芯片表面增强拉曼散射探测,可以得到很好的增强效果,为等离子体器件的制备提供了新的方法.