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Ablation, Melting, and Smoothing of Polycrystalline Alumina by Pulsed Excimer Laser Radiation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 1992

Douglas H. Lowndes ,
M. Desilva ,
M. J. Godbole ,
A. J. Pedraza  and
D. B. Geohegan
Douglas H. Lowndes
Affiliation:
Solid State Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831–6056
M. Desilva
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996–2200
M. J. Godbole
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996–2200
A. J. Pedraza
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996–2200
D. B. Geohegan
Affiliation:
Solid State Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831–6056
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Abstract

The effects of pulsed XeCl (308 nm) laser radiation on polycrystalline Al2O3 (alumina, 99.6% pure) and single-crystal Al2O3 (sapphire) are studied as a function of laser fluence. No laser etching ofeither material is detected below a threshold fluence value, which is much lower for alumina than for sapphire. Above this threshold, laser etching of both materials is observed following a number of incubation (induction) pulses. This number is much larger for sapphire than for alumina but decreases with increasing fluence for both materials. Laser etching rates for the two materials are similar at high fluences and after the incubation period. Scanning electron microscope images show that alumina melts and flows under repeated irradiation at fluences ≥0.7 J/cm2. Atomic force microscopy and surface profilometry reveal significant smoothing of the as-received polycrystalline alumina surface after repeated irradiations at moderate fluences (∼1−3 J/cm2). Ion probe measurements for alumina in vacuum confirm the incubation behavior, and reveal that at fixed fluence the (positive) charge collected per pulse saturates after a sufficient number of pulses, as does the etch-plume velocity. The results are interpreted in terms of laser-generation of a sufficient concentration of absorption centers before efficient ablation/etching of these wide bandgap materials can occur.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 285: Symposium I – Laser Ablation in Materials Processing–Fundamentals and Applications , 1992 , 191
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1993

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References

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