Controlled strong excitation of silicon as a step towards processing materials at sub-nanometer precision

0518029 - FZÚ 2020 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Dinh, TH. - Medvedev, Nikita - Ishino, M. - Kitamura, T. - Hasegawa, N. - Otobe, T. - Higashiguchi, T. - Sakaue, K. - Washio, M. - Hatano, T. - Kon, A. - Kubota, Y. - Inubushi, Y. - Owada, S. - Shibuya, T. - Ziaja, B. - Nishikino, M.
Controlled strong excitation of silicon as a step towards processing materials at sub-nanometer precision.
COMMUNICATIONS PHYSICS. Roč. 2, č. 1 (2019), s. 1-9, č. článku 150. ISSN 2399-3650. E-ISSN 2399-3650
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT LTT17015
EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 654148 - LASERLAB-EUROPE
Institutional support: RVO:68378271
Keywords : interaction of solid material with intense pulses * SACLA free-electron laser * nanoscale response * craters on silicon substrate * theory and experiment
OECD category: Optics (including laser optics and quantum optics)
Impact factor: 4.684, year: 2019
Method of publishing: Open access

Interaction of a solid material with focused, intense pulses of high-energy photons or other particles (such as electrons and ions) creates a strong electronic excitation state within an ultra-short time and on ultra-small spatial scales. This offers possibility to control a response of the material on a spatial scale less than a nanometer—crucial for the next generation of nano-devices. Here we create craters on the surface of a silicon substrate by focusing single femtosecond extreme ultraviolet pulse from the SACLA free-electron laser. We investigate the resulting surface modification in the vicinity of damage thresholds, establishing a connection to microscopic theoretical approaches, and, with their help, illustrating physical mechanisms for damage creation. The cooling during ablation by means of rapid electron and energy transport can suppress undesired hydrodynamical motions, allowing the silicon material to be directly processed with a precision.

Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0303232