TY - JOUR A1 - Bonse, Jörn A1 - Krüger, Jörg T1 - Pulse number dependence of laser-induced periodic surface structures for femtosecond laser irradiation of silicon T2 - Journal of applied physics N2 - The formation of nearly wavelength-sized laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on single-crystalline silicon upon irradiation with single (N = 1) and multiple (N ≤ 1000) linearly polarized femtosecond (fs) laser pulses (pulse duration τ = 130 fs, central wavelength λ = 800 nm) in air is studied experimentally. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy are used for imaging of the ablated surface morphologies, both revealing LIPSS with periodicities close to the laser wavelength and an orientation always perpendicular to the polarization of the fs-laser beam. It is experimentally demonstrated that these LIPSS can be formed in silicon upon irradiation by single fs-laser pulses—a result that is additionally supported by a recent theoretical model. Two-dimensional Fourier transforms of the SEM images allow the detailed analysis of the distribution of the spatial frequencies of the LIPSS and indicate, at a fixed peak fluence, a monotonous decrease in their mean spatial period between ~770 nm (N = 1) and 560 nm (N = 1000). The characteristic decrease in the LIPSS period is caused by a feedback-mechanism acting upon excitation of surface plasmon polaritons at the rough silicon surface which is developing under the action of multiple pulses into a periodically corrugated surface. PB - American Institute of Physics CY - Melville, NY KW - Elemental semiconductors KW - Fourier transforms KW - Laser beam effects KW - Optical microscopy KW - Polarisation KW - Polaritons KW - Scanning electron microscopy KW - Silicon KW - Surface morphology KW - Surface plasmons PY - 2010 UR - https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-bam/frontdoor/index/index/docId/21804 AN - OPUS4-21804 UR - http://jap.aip.org/resource/1/japiau/v108/i3/p034903_s1 SN - 0021-8979 SN - 1089-7550 VL - 108 IS - 3 SP - 034903-1 - 034903-5 AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany