Generation of laser-induced periodic surface structures on a transparent material by laser-induced plasma-assisted ablation using a nanosecond pulsed laser

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs) can be formed on transparent dielectric materials by irradiation using an ultrashort-pulse laser such as a femto-/picosecond laser. In the case of a pulsed laser having a nanosecond or longer pulse duration, similar subwavelength periodic structures can be produced following the deposition of a laser-absorbing medium such as a metal film. Laser-induced plasma-assisted ablation (LIPAA) enables simultaneous microfabrication and metal film deposition on a glass substrate in conjunction with nanosecond laser irradiation of the interface between a metal target and glass substrate. This single-step technique has been widely employed, but the resulting structures have not been examined on the nanoscale. This work fabricated LIPSSs on glass substrates using the LIPAA process. LIPSSs having periods equal to approximately half the laser wavelength were obtained using single pulses. The LIPSS period could be varied from approximately 575 to 730 nm by varying the laser parameters. LIPSS formation by LIPAA using a 1064 nm nanosecond laser was investigated, including the fabrication of large structures.