Title: High speed direct imaging of thin metal film ablation by movie-mode dynamic transmission electron microscopy

Abstract

Obliteration of matter by pulsed laser beams is not only prevalent in science fiction movies, but finds numerous technological applications ranging from additive manufacturing over machining of micro- and nanostructured features to health care. Pulse lengths ranging from femtoseconds to nanoseconds are utilized at varying laser beam energies and pulse lengths, and enable the removal of nanometric volumes of material. While the mechanisms for removal of material by laser irradiation, i.e., laser ablation, are well understood on the micrometer length scale, it was previously impossible to directly observe obliteration processes on smaller scales due to experimental limitations for the combination of nanometer spatial and nanosecond temporal resolution. Here, we report the direct observation of metal thin film ablation from a solid substrate through dynamic transmission electron microscopy. Quantitative analysis reveals liquid-phase dewetting of the thin-film, followed by hydrodynamic sputtering of nano- to submicron sized metal droplets. We discovered unexpected fracturing of the substrate due to evolving thermal stresses. In addition, this study confirms that hydrodynamic sputtering remains a valid mechanism for droplet expulsion on the nanoscale, while irradiation induced stress fields represent limit laser processing of nanostructured materials. Our results allow for improved safety during laser ablation in manufacturing andmore » medical applications.« less

Authors:

Hihath, Sahar ^[1]; Santala, Melissa K. ^[2]; Cen, Xi ^[3]; Campbell, Geoffrey ^[2]; van Benthem, Klaus ^[3]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics
2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
3. Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Publication Date:

Fri Mar 11 00:00:00 EST 2016

Research Org.:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

OSTI Identifier:

1259514

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1324515

Report Number(s):

LLNL-JRNL-694111
Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322; srep23046

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC52-07NA27344; 12-LR-238313; DMR-0955638

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Scientific Reports

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322

Publisher:

Nature Publishing Group

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE