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Abstract

A new technique and Method of Direct Coulomb Explosion in Laser Ablation of Semiconductor Structures in semiconductor materials is disclosed. The Method of Direct Coulomb Explosion in Laser Ablation of Semiconductor Structures provides activation of the “Coulomb explosion” mechanism in a manner which does not invoke or require the conventional avalanche photoionization mechanism, but rather utilizes direct interband absorption to generate the Coulomb explosion threshold charge densities. This approach minimizes the laser intensity necessary for material removal and provides optimal machining quality. The technique generally comprises use of a femtosecond pulsed laser to rapidly evacuate electrons from a near surface region of a semiconductor or dielectric structure, and wherein the wavelength of the laser beam is chosen such that interband optical absorption dominates the carrier production throughout the laser pulse. The further application of a strong electric field to the semiconductor or dielectric structure provides enhancement of the absorption coefficient through a field induced redshift of the optical absorption. The use of this electric field controlled optical absorption is available in all semiconductor materials and allows precise control of the ablation rate. When used in conjunction with nanoscale semiconductor or dielectric structures, the application of a strong electric field provides for laser ablation on sub-micron lateral scales.

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