Application of surface plasmon polaritons in the laser ablation and characterisation of thin aluminium films

Autor: G.F. Cairns, D.A McNeill, Paul Dawson
Rok vydání: 1999
Předmět:
Zdroj: Surface Science. 429:117-126
ISSN: 0039-6028
DOI: 10.1016/s0039-6028(99)00354-4
Popis: Surface modification of thin aluminium films is both produced and characterised by exciting surface plasmon polaritons in an attenuated total reflection geometry: silica prism/aluminium/ aluminium oxide system. The modification is performed, under ambient conditions, by exposure to a low fluence ( −2 ) single pulse of radiation from an excimer laser at wavelength 248 nm. Pre- and post-ablation characterisation of samples is performed at a centre wavelength of 250 nm by using a xenon lamp and optical filtration. Modelling of the characteristic reflectance–angle curves from areas exposed to the laser shows both an increased oxide thickness and the presence of an optically absorbing cermet layer, a region of mixed metal and oxide, between the aluminium and the aluminium oxide. Analysis of the results suggests that the interfacial aluminium/oxide region supporting the surface mode is ablated by means of a non-thermal, bond-breaking mechanism leading to further surface oxide formation and a progressively less complete oxidation process for a finite distance into the aluminium film. However, the ablation is frustrated in the sense that there is little or no net loss of aluminium from the system.
Databáze: OpenAIRE