Femtosecond laser microstructuring in the bulk of diamond

In this paper we report the fabrication of graphitic microstructures in the bulk of diamond using 120-fs-laser pulses at 800 nm wavelength. Polished plates of single crystal diamond and optical quality polycrystalline CVD diamond were used as samples for 3D microstructuring. Under low fluence conditions and focusing a laser beam into the bulk of diamond plates, multipulse irradiation was found to result in the appearance and continuous growth of a laser-modified (graphitized) region from the focal plane towards the laser beam. Controlling the laser fluence and sample translation velocity (scanning beam velocity) allowed high-aspect-ratio 'graphitic wires' - microstructures of a few microns in diameter and several hundred micrometers in length - to be fabricated in the bulk of diamond. Physical processes responsible for the continuous growth of microscopic graphitic regions towards a laser beam are discussed. Results of comparative investigations of graphitic microstructures produced by laser pulses of different durations (120 fs and 300 ps) are presented to show the advantages of ultrashort laser pulses in 3D microstructuring of diamond. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.