Enhancement of confined femto-ablation at SiO2/Si interface by embedded metallic nanoparticles. (March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rehman, Z.U.; Na, Le T.; Tan, C.L.; Irfan, M.; Qayyum, A.; Janulewicz, K.A.
• Is Part Of: Materials today physics. Volume 4(2017)
• Page Start: 58
• Page End: 63
• Publication Date: 2018-03
• Subjects: Confined ablation -- Metallic nanoparticles -- Dielectric interface -- Pressure-induced phase transformation; Materials science -- Periodicals; Physics -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 530.41
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtphys.2018.03.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2542-5293

Abstract

Abstract: Influence of doping an SiO2 /Si interface with metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) on confined laser ablation and resulting structural properties of the crystalline silicon ( c -Si) substrate was investigated by irradiating the composed interface with a single, tightly focused femtosecond laser pulse. Confinement ablation regime was enforced by a 10 μm–thick SiO2 layer capping the c -Si substrate. A mixture of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles was placed at the interface to take advantage of the presumed plasmon-induced enhancement of the incident field strength in a broad spectral range. The nanoplasmonic effect is visualised by numerical simulations utilising the mathematical apparatus of the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The structural transformations at the site of the laser-induced damage were investigated dominantly by the scanning (SEM) and high-resolution transmission (HRTEM) electron microscopes. A comparative analysis of the irradiation effects in the targets containing different combinations of the interface composing elements revealed clear and strong influence of the confinement and doping on the irradiation result. Character of the observed transformations (among others the crystal twinning) suggests dominant role of increased pressure in the process through the locally generated shock waves. Graphical abstract: Highlights: Femtosecond ablation confined in a solid material. MNPs-controlled ablation level. Strongly localised energy deposition. Creation of the extreme thermodynamic conditions ( p, T ) in matter. Crystal twinning in laboratory with only 65 nJ of the driving energy.