Comparison of heat-affected zones due to nanosecond and femtosecond laser pulses using transmission electronic microscopy

This letter presents a method aimed at quantifying the dimensions of the heat-affected zone (HAZ), produced during nanosecond and femtosecond laser-matter interactions. According to this method, 0.1 mum thick Al samples were microdrilled and observed by a transmission electronic microscopy technique. The holes were produced at laser fluences above the ablation threshold in both nanosecond and femtosecond regimes (i.e., 5 and 2 J/cm(2), respectively). The grain size in the samples was observed near the microholes. The main conclusion is that a 40 mum wide HAZ is induced by the nanosecond pulses, whereas the femtosecond regime does not produce any observable HAZ. It turns out that the width of the femtosecond HAZ is less than 2 mum, which is our observation limit. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.