Fabrication of nanostructures on silicon carbide surface and microgroove sidewall using 800-nm femtosecond laser

Nanoripples and nanoparticles have been fabricated on the surface of a silicon carbide sample with the irradiation of an 800-nm femtosecond laser in an underwater environment. When a linearly polarized laser was used, the nanoripples were perpendicular to the polarization direction of the incident laser, and the period of the nanoripples was dependent on the number of pulses. When a circularly polarized laser was used, nanoparticles with a diameter of approximately 80 nm were formed. In addition, we observed two kinds of nanoripples on the sidewall of the silicon carbide microgroove fabricated by femtosecond laser irradiation followed by chemical wet etching. When the polarization direction was aligned perpendicular to the writing direction, ripples parallel to the surface of the sample were formed. We attribute the formation of this kind of ripple to interference of the incident laser and the reflected wave. When the polarization direction was aligned parallel to the writing direction, the ripples are perpendicular to the surface of the sample. We attribute the formation of this kind of ripple to interference of incident laser and bulk electron plasma wave. A scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope was employed to characterize the morphology of the structures. (C) 2015 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)