GaAs ablation with ultrashort laser pulses in ambient air and water environments

Water-assisted ultrashort laser pulse processing of semiconductor materials is a promising technique to diminish heat accumulation and improve process quality. In this study, we investigate femtosecond laser ablation of deep trenches in GaAs, an important optoelectronic material, using water and ambient air environments at different laser processing regimes. We perform a comprehensive analysis of ablated trenches, including surface morphological analysis, atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging, elemental mapping, photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopy. The findings demonstrate that GaAs ablation efficiency is enhanced in a water environment while heat-accumulation-related damage is reduced. Raman spectroscopy reveals a decrease in the broad feature associated with amorphous GaAs surface layers during water-assisted laser processing, suggesting that a higher material quality in deep trenches can be achieved using a water environment.

Automated summary

Water-assisted ultrashort laser pulse processing is a promising technique for improving the quality of semiconductor materials. This study focuses on femtosecond laser ablation of GaAs in different environments and analyzes the surface morphology, elemental mapping, and spectroscopic properties. The results show that using water as an environment enhances GaAs ablation efficiency and reduces heat-accumulation-related damage, leading to higher material quality in deep trenches.