Femtosecond pulse laser processing of TiN on silicon

Ultrashort pulse laser microstructuring pulse duration 130 fs, wavelength 800 nm, repetition rate 2 Hz.of titanium nitride TiN.films on silicon substrates was performed in air using the direct focusing technique. The lateral and vertical precision of laser ablation was evaluated. The TiN ablation threshold changed with the number of pulses applied to the surface due to an incubation effect. An ablation depth per pulse below the penetration depth of light was observed. Columnar structures were formed in the silicon substrate after drilling through the TiN layer. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.