Femtosecond laser-induced formation of submicrometer spikes on silicon in water

Journal Article · Sun Dec 05 23:00:00 EST 2004 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1828575· OSTI ID:20634501

Shen, M Y; Crouch, C H; Carey, J E; Mazur, E ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States)

We fabricate submicrometer silicon spikes by irradiating a silicon surface that is submerged in water with 400 nm, 100 fs laser pulses. These spikes are less than a micrometer tall and about 200 nm wide-one to two orders of magnitude smaller than the microspikes formed by laser irradiation of silicon in gases or vacuum. Scanning electron micrographs of the surface show that the formation of the spikes involves a combination of capillary waves on the molten silicon surface and laser-induced etching of silicon. Chemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy of the spikes show that they are composed of silicon with a 20-nm-thick surface oxide layer.

• OSTI ID: 20634501
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 23 Vol. 85; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CAPILLARIES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
ETCHING
GASES
LAYERS
OXIDES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
SILICON
SURFACES
TOPOGRAPHY
WATER