Laser irradiation of 10x(Ni/Ti)/Si multilayers at different wavelengths

A study of the effects of laser irradiation on the morphology and composition of Ni/Ti multilayers induced by nanosecond laser pulses at different wavelengths is reported. Irradiation of complex 109(Ni/Ti)/Si sample was done by a Nd:YAG laser which operate at a 1064 nm wavelength, frequency doubled wavelength (532 nm) and dual-wavelength (1064 and 532 nm). The following surface morphological changes were observed: (1) ablation of the thin film during the first laser pulse and (2) appearance of some nanostructures (mosaic structure) in the irradiated region. After action of one pulse, the boundary of damage area was relatively sharp at low pulse energy, whereas it was diffuse after irradiation with higher energy per pulse. The results obtained show that laser irradiation induced mixing between Ni and Ti layers which creates conditions for the formation of intermetallic compounds. A numerical model was used to predict ablation depths and temperatures inside the material during the time. The model prediction shows a close agreement with experimental data.