Femtosecond Laser Structuring of Materials: A Review

In this review the interaction between femtosecond laser and matter with emphasis on silicon and some metals have been appraised. For silicon, spikes are produced as a result of interaction in the presence of background gas such as SF6, or H2S with an appropriate background pressure, but spikes are not formed in the presence N2 or air. The formation of the spikes increase the infrared light absorption of silicon to near unity. Interaction of femtosecond laser with metals form periodic surface structures that make the metals exhibit many different morphological characteristics. This processing technique allows the creation of a variety of colors on a metal that ultimately lead to control of its optical properties from UV to terahertz. From the assessment made, the potential of femtosecond laser structuring of materials for cost-effective nano-manufacturing is high.