Laser nanoablation of diamond and formation of atomic-scale surface structures

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Abstract

An experimental study of the mode of multi-pulse (108–109 pulses) laser nanoablation of single-crystal diamond, which is realized at irradiation intensity below the threshold of laser graphitization and allows controlling the depth of laser treatment of this material with accuracy to the atomic layer, has been carried out. The obtained dependences of the nanoablation rate on the laser energy density for various combinations of laser pulse duration and radiation wavelength indicate that the rate of photostimulated oxidation in air atmosphere is determined by the density of laser plasma created inside the material. A consistent decrease in the nanoablation rate with increasing concentration of nitrogen impurity in diamond was found. It was found that the duration of laser etching in the nanoablation mode and, respectively, the maximum depth of the created nanostructures are limited by the effect of cumulative graphitization.

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About the authors

T. V. Kononenko

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: taras.kononenko@nsc.gpi.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

V. V. Kononenko

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: taras.kononenko@nsc.gpi.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

E. V. Zavedeev

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: taras.kononenko@nsc.gpi.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

V. P. Pashinin

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: taras.kononenko@nsc.gpi.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

M. S. Komlenok

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: taras.kononenko@nsc.gpi.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

P. A. Pivovarov

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: taras.kononenko@nsc.gpi.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

K. K. Ashikkalieva

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: taras.kononenko@nsc.gpi.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

M. A. Dezhkina

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: taras.kononenko@nsc.gpi.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

N. D. Kurochitsky

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: taras.kononenko@nsc.gpi.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

A. A. Kupriyanov

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: taras.kononenko@nsc.gpi.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow

V. I. Konov

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: taras.kononenko@nsc.gpi.ru

Academician of the RAS

Russian Federation, Moscow

References

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig. 1. Comparison of typical Raman spectra for the initial diamond (coincides with the spectrum of the nanoablation crater) and the graphitized crater. The dotted line shows the components of the Raman spectrum characteristic of the nanocrystalline sp2-phase.

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3. Fig. 2. a – Two-dimensional profile of a crater created by femtosecond pulses (sample #2, 220 fs & 515 nm, pulse energy Q = 7 nJ, number of pulses N = 2.2×109) and studied using OP; b – profiles of the central section of this crater obtained using OP and AFM.

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4. Fig. 3. Typical dependences of crater depth on the number of laser pulses (sample No. 2, 10 ns & 355 nm).

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5. Fig. 4. The influence of laser pulse parameters (wavelength and duration) on the rate of nanoablation.

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6. Fig. 5. Comparison of nanoablation rates for different diamond crystals.

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7. Fig. 6. Effect of laser pulse repetition rate on nanoablation rate.

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8. Fig. 7. The influence of laser pulse parameters on the minimum number of pulses required for cumulative graphitization (a) and on the maximum etching depth of diamond in the nanoablation mode (b).

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