The femtosecond laser ablation of silicon surface near the ablation threshold was investigated and the preferential ablation along different directions was observed in different stages. It was found that the ripples formed in the initial stage facilitate the ablation along the direction perpendicular to the ripples, leading to the formation of an elliptical ablation area. With increasing length and depth of the ripples, however, nanohole arrays formed in the ripples will modify the distribution of electric field which benefits the ablation along the direction parallel to the ripples. Consequently, the ablation area is gradually changed to a circular one after irradiating sufficient number of pulses.

© 2013 OSA

1. B. Dusser, Z. Sagan, H. Soder, N. Faure, J. P. Colombier, M. Jourlin, and E. Audouard, “Controlled nanostructrures formation by ultra fast laser pulses for color marking,” Opt. Express18(3), 2913–2924 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. A. Y. Vorobyev and C. Guo, “Femtosecond laser nanostructuring of metals,” Opt. Express14(6), 2164–2169 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. A. Y. Vorobyev and C. Guo, “Colorizing metals with femtosecond laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. Lett.92(4), 041914 (2008). [CrossRef]
4. C. A. Zuhlke, D. R. Alexander, J. C. Bruce, N. J. Ianno, C. A. Kamler, and W. Yang, “Self assembled nanoparticle aggregates from line focused femtosecond laser ablation,” Opt. Express18(5), 4329–4339 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. L. Qi, K. Nishii, and Y. Namba, “Regular subwavelength surface structures induced by femtosecond laser pulses on stainless steel,” Opt. Lett.34(12), 1846–1848 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. I. Umezu, Y. Nakayama, and A. Sugimura, “Formation of core-shell structured silicon nanoparticles during pulsed laser ablation,” J. Appl. Phys.107(9), 094318 (2010). [CrossRef]
7. M. Beresna and P. G. Kazansky, “Polarization diffraction grating produced by femtosecond laser nanostructuring in glass,” Opt. Lett.35(10), 1662–1664 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. M. Shen, J. E. Carey, C. H. Crouch, M. Kandyla, H. A. Stone, and E. Mazur, “High-density regular arrays of nanometer-scale rods formed on silicon surfaces via femtosecond laser irradiation in water,” Nano Lett.8(7), 2087–2091 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. X. Jia, T. Q. Jia, Y. Zhang, P. X. Xiong, D. H. Feng, Z. R. Sun, J. R. Qiu, and Z. Z. Xu, “Periodic nanoripples in the surface and subsurface layers in ZnO irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett.35(8), 1248–1250 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. M. Huang, F. Zhao, Y. Cheng, N. Xu, and Z. Xu, “Origin of laser-induced near-subwavelength ripples: interference between surface plasmons and incident laser,” ACS Nano3(12), 4062–4070 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. J. E. Sipe, J. F. Young, J. S. Preston, and H. M. van Driel, “Laser-induced periodic surface structure. I. Theory,” Phys. Rev. B27(2), 1141–1154 (1983). [CrossRef]
12. S. Sakabe, M. Hashida, S. Tokita, S. Namba, and K. Okamuro, “Mechanism for self-formation of periodic grating structures on a metal surface by a femtosecond laser pulse,” Phys. Rev. B79(3), 033409 (2009). [CrossRef]
13. T. Q. Jia, H. X. Chen, M. Huang, F. L. Zhao, J. R. Qiu, R. X. Li, Z. Z. Xu, X. K. He, J. Zhang, and H. Kuroda, “Formation of nanogratings on the surface of a ZnSe crystal irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses,” Phys. Rev. B72(12), 125429 (2005). [CrossRef]
14. A. Y. Vorobyev, V. S. Makin, and C. Guo, “Periodic ordering of random surface nanostructures induced by femtosecond laser pulses on metals,” J. Appl. Phys.101(3), 034903 (2007). [CrossRef]
15. Q. Sun, F. Liang, R. Vallée, and S. L. Chin, “Nanograting formation on the surface of silica glass by scanning focused femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett.33(22), 2713–2715 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. Y. Shimotsuma, P. G. Kazansky, J. Qiu, and K. Hirao, “Self-organized nanogratings in glass irradiated by ultrashort light pulses,” Phys. Rev. Lett.91(24), 247405 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. V. R. Bhardwaj, E. Simova, P. P. Rajeev, C. Hnatovsky, R. S. Taylor, D. M. Rayner, and P. B. Corkum, “Optically produced arrays of planar nanostructures inside fused silica,” Phys. Rev. Lett.96(5), 057404 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
18. F. Liang, R. Vallée, and S. L. Chin, “Mechanism of nanograting formation on the surface of fused silica,” Opt. Express20(4), 4389–4396 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19. D. Dufft, A. Rosenfeld, S. K. Das, R. Grunwald, and J. Bonse, “Femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures revisited: A comparative study on ZnO,” J. Appl. Phys.105(3), 034908 (2009). [CrossRef]
20. J. W. Yao, C. Y. Zhang, H. Y. Liu, Q. F. Dai, L. J. Wu, S. Lan, A. V. Gopal, V. A. Trofimov, and T. M. Lysak, “High spatial frequency periodic structures induced on metal surface by femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Express20(2), 905–911 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
21. J. Bonse, M. Munz, and H. Sturm, “Structure formation on the surface of indium phosphide irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses,” J. Appl. Phys.97(1), 013538 (2005). [CrossRef]
22. C. Y. Zhang, J. W. Yao, H. Y. Liu, Q. F. Dai, L. J. Wu, S. Lan, V. A. Trofimov, and T. M. Lysak, “Colorizing silicon surface with regular nanohole arrays induced by femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett.37(6), 1106–1108 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
23. J. Bonse, A. Rosenfeld, and J. Krüger, “On the role of surface plasmon polaritons in the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures upon irradiation of silicon by femtosecond-laser pulses,” J. Appl. Phys.106(10), 104910 (2009). [CrossRef]
24. J. Bonse, A. Rosenfeld, and J. Krüger, “Implications of transient changes of optical and surface properties of solids during femtosecond laser pulse irradiation to the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures,” Appl. Surf. Sci.257(12), 5420–5423 (2011). [CrossRef]
25. G. Obara, N. Maeda, T. Miyanishi, M. Terakawa, N. N. Nedyalkov, and M. Obara, “Plasmonic and Mie scattering control of far-field interference for regular ripple formation on various material substrates,” Opt. Express19(20), 19093–19103 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

ACS Nano

• M. Huang, F. Zhao, Y. Cheng, N. Xu, and Z. Xu, “Origin of laser-induced near-subwavelength ripples: interference between surface plasmons and incident laser,” ACS Nano3(12), 4062–4070 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• A. Y. Vorobyev and C. Guo, “Colorizing metals with femtosecond laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. Lett.92(4), 041914 (2008). [CrossRef]

Appl. Surf. Sci.

• J. Bonse, A. Rosenfeld, and J. Krüger, “Implications of transient changes of optical and surface properties of solids during femtosecond laser pulse irradiation to the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures,” Appl. Surf. Sci.257(12), 5420–5423 (2011). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

• J. Bonse, A. Rosenfeld, and J. Krüger, “On the role of surface plasmon polaritons in the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures upon irradiation of silicon by femtosecond-laser pulses,” J. Appl. Phys.106(10), 104910 (2009). [CrossRef]
• D. Dufft, A. Rosenfeld, S. K. Das, R. Grunwald, and J. Bonse, “Femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures revisited: A comparative study on ZnO,” J. Appl. Phys.105(3), 034908 (2009). [CrossRef]
• J. Bonse, M. Munz, and H. Sturm, “Structure formation on the surface of indium phosphide irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses,” J. Appl. Phys.97(1), 013538 (2005). [CrossRef]
• I. Umezu, Y. Nakayama, and A. Sugimura, “Formation of core-shell structured silicon nanoparticles during pulsed laser ablation,” J. Appl. Phys.107(9), 094318 (2010). [CrossRef]
• A. Y. Vorobyev, V. S. Makin, and C. Guo, “Periodic ordering of random surface nanostructures induced by femtosecond laser pulses on metals,” J. Appl. Phys.101(3), 034903 (2007). [CrossRef]

Nano Lett.

• M. Shen, J. E. Carey, C. H. Crouch, M. Kandyla, H. A. Stone, and E. Mazur, “High-density regular arrays of nanometer-scale rods formed on silicon surfaces via femtosecond laser irradiation in water,” Nano Lett.8(7), 2087–2091 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Express

• C. A. Zuhlke, D. R. Alexander, J. C. Bruce, N. J. Ianno, C. A. Kamler, and W. Yang, “Self assembled nanoparticle aggregates from line focused femtosecond laser ablation,” Opt. Express18(5), 4329–4339 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• B. Dusser, Z. Sagan, H. Soder, N. Faure, J. P. Colombier, M. Jourlin, and E. Audouard, “Controlled nanostructrures formation by ultra fast laser pulses for color marking,” Opt. Express18(3), 2913–2924 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Y. Vorobyev and C. Guo, “Femtosecond laser nanostructuring of metals,” Opt. Express14(6), 2164–2169 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• J. W. Yao, C. Y. Zhang, H. Y. Liu, Q. F. Dai, L. J. Wu, S. Lan, A. V. Gopal, V. A. Trofimov, and T. M. Lysak, “High spatial frequency periodic structures induced on metal surface by femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Express20(2), 905–911 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• F. Liang, R. Vallée, and S. L. Chin, “Mechanism of nanograting formation on the surface of fused silica,” Opt. Express20(4), 4389–4396 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. Obara, N. Maeda, T. Miyanishi, M. Terakawa, N. N. Nedyalkov, and M. Obara, “Plasmonic and Mie scattering control of far-field interference for regular ripple formation on various material substrates,” Opt. Express19(20), 19093–19103 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• C. Y. Zhang, J. W. Yao, H. Y. Liu, Q. F. Dai, L. J. Wu, S. Lan, V. A. Trofimov, and T. M. Lysak, “Colorizing silicon surface with regular nanohole arrays induced by femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett.37(6), 1106–1108 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• L. Qi, K. Nishii, and Y. Namba, “Regular subwavelength surface structures induced by femtosecond laser pulses on stainless steel,” Opt. Lett.34(12), 1846–1848 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• X. Jia, T. Q. Jia, Y. Zhang, P. X. Xiong, D. H. Feng, Z. R. Sun, J. R. Qiu, and Z. Z. Xu, “Periodic nanoripples in the surface and subsurface layers in ZnO irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett.35(8), 1248–1250 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Beresna and P. G. Kazansky, “Polarization diffraction grating produced by femtosecond laser nanostructuring in glass,” Opt. Lett.35(10), 1662–1664 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Q. Sun, F. Liang, R. Vallée, and S. L. Chin, “Nanograting formation on the surface of silica glass by scanning focused femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett.33(22), 2713–2715 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. B

• J. E. Sipe, J. F. Young, J. S. Preston, and H. M. van Driel, “Laser-induced periodic surface structure. I. Theory,” Phys. Rev. B27(2), 1141–1154 (1983). [CrossRef]
• S. Sakabe, M. Hashida, S. Tokita, S. Namba, and K. Okamuro, “Mechanism for self-formation of periodic grating structures on a metal surface by a femtosecond laser pulse,” Phys. Rev. B79(3), 033409 (2009). [CrossRef]
• T. Q. Jia, H. X. Chen, M. Huang, F. L. Zhao, J. R. Qiu, R. X. Li, Z. Z. Xu, X. K. He, J. Zhang, and H. Kuroda, “Formation of nanogratings on the surface of a ZnSe crystal irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses,” Phys. Rev. B72(12), 125429 (2005). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• Y. Shimotsuma, P. G. Kazansky, J. Qiu, and K. Hirao, “Self-organized nanogratings in glass irradiated by ultrashort light pulses,” Phys. Rev. Lett.91(24), 247405 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• V. R. Bhardwaj, E. Simova, P. P. Rajeev, C. Hnatovsky, R. S. Taylor, D. M. Rayner, and P. B. Corkum, “Optically produced arrays of planar nanostructures inside fused silica,” Phys. Rev. Lett.96(5), 057404 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

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