Surface patterning on nanocrystalline β-SiC thin film by femtosecond laser irradiation

Abstract

Sub-wavelength features are directly patterned on the surface of a nanocrystalline β-SiC thin film using femtosecond laser irradiation. The Sub-wavelength features form due to incident laser light's interference with surface plasmons. The laser incidence is normal to the surface of the thin film, and the patterning experiments are carried out in the air. Laser polarization is used to control the shape of the surface features, i.e., linear polarization gives linearly oriented features while circular polarization gives near-circular features without altering the phase and crystal structure of SiC.