Silicon wafer surface patterning using femtosecond laser irradiation below ablation threshold

Surface patterning using femtosecond laser can be utilized for the fabrication of MEMS/NEMS, CMOS, 3D-microstructures, microtrenches, microchannels, microholes, periodical submicron gratings and nanophotonics. A unique high repetition rate femtosecond fiber laser system was used to study the effect of pulse width, repetition rate and pulse energy on the spacing of ripples as well as diameter of grains created during the surface patterning operations. Also, this report strides to identify the mechanisms that lead to ripple and grain formation at different pulse durations. In our experiments, the ripples formed at a lower laser fluence range 1.56–4.66 J/cm2, whereas the grains were created at a higher laser fluence range 3.34–6.77 J/cm2. The primary theory we used to explain the creation of ripples in the femtosecond regime was the Boson Condensation Hypothesis since mechanical and thermal forces are deemed to be negligible. For the picosecond pulse width range, the ripple formation can be based on any or a combination of the acoustic wave, surface tension gradient and interference between the incident light/surface wave mechanisms. The grain formation both in the femtosecond, as well as the picosecond span used in our experiments is due to the bond weakening and breaking in the silicon substrate and the short duration of the crystal lattice rearrangement following illumination by the laser. The small movements lead to the creation of new bonds between the atoms and eventual formation of grains. It was seen that for our pulse width, repetition rate and pulse energy range, the ripple spacing increased with laser pulse duration, while other parameters did not play an important role. In terms of grain diameter a similar trend was seen.