High power single-shot laser ablation of silicon with nanosecond 355 nm

We report on high intensity single-shot laser ablation of monocrystalline silicon with a nanosecond Nd:YAG at 355 nm. It is shown that for incident laser intensities exceeding 11.5 GW/cm2 on the silicon surface, unusually high etch depths can be achieved reaching values up to 60 mm. The results support previous observations of dramatic increase in etch rates in single-shot laser ablation at 266 nm. A laser-induced explosive boiling mechanism together with secondary plasma heating is believed to be associated with this effect