Excimer laser ablation of silicon at high temperature

Pulsed laser ablation of granulated Si target was carried out at 1200 °C in an Ar atmosphere. Multishot ablated target surface forms intensity dependent features, including porous, skeleton, and columnar structures. Very long columnar structures were observed when the angle of the target surface with respect to the direction of the laser beam was small. Evidence on preferable remove of smaller particles has been observed. Formation of the columnar structures started from the biggest particles at the surface and grew deeper, straight in the laser beam direction, by consuming the removed Si species from the deep channel between columns. The Si species ablated off the granulated Si target deposited as Si nanowires or nanoparticles down stream of the Ar flow. Significant decrease in the deposition rate of Si nanostructures has been observed upon the formation of the columnar structures at the target surface.