Search

The term "laser microexplosion" has been introduced to stress the violent character of the optical breakdown by laser radiation under conditions of tight focusing. Generally, the starting phase of the breakdown has been neglected by the assumption of absorption triggered by the presence of damage precursors. The application of the plasticity–elasticity theory in the analysis of the dynamics of this phenomenon has not been extensively examined to date. This paper formulates a phenomenological model attempting to explain the creation of nanovoids in a soft matter under irradiation by a flux of extreme ultraviolet (XUV)/soft x-ray photons. The combined action of plastic deformation and dissociation waves on soft matter is found to be responsible for the material modifications. It is suggested that localized (volume ≃ λ 3) abundance of energy, coming most likely from photon bunching, constitutes the real onset of the photo-ablative decomposition. It is shown that the coincidental presence of some small number of energy carriers (2–3 XUV photons in the considered case) in such a small volume triggers processes denoted from now on as a laser nanoexplosion. The effect is considered to be the first step in the optical breakdown followed by an intense material removal resembling, to some extent, a phase explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a comparative study of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) induced low temperature SF6-based plasmas, created using two different irradiation systems, was performed. Both systems utilized laser-produced plasma (LPP) EUV sources. The essential difference between the systems concerned the formation of the driving EUV beam. The first one contained an efficient ellipsoidal EUV collector allowing for focusing of the EUV radiation at a large distance from the LPP source. The spectrum of focused radiation was limited to the long-wavelength part of the total LPP emission, λ > 8 nm, due to the reflective properties of the collector. The second system did not contain any EUV collector. The gas to be ionized was injected in the vicinity of the LPP, at a distance of the order of 10 mm. In both systems, energies of the driving photons were high enough for dissociative ionization of the SF6 molecules and ionization of atoms or even singly charged ions. Plasmas, created due to these processes, were investigated by spectral measurements in the EUV, ultraviolet (UV), and visible (VIS) spectral ranges. These low temperature plasmas were employed for preliminary experiments concerning surface treatment. The formation of pronounced nanostructures on the silicon surface after plasma treatment was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral investigations of low-temperature photoionized plasmas created in a Kr/Ne/H2 gas mixture were performed. The low-temperature plasmas were generated by gas mixture irradiation using extreme ultraviolet pulses from a laser-plasma source. Emission spectra in the ultraviolet/visible range from the photoionized plasmas contained lines that mainly corresponded to neutral atoms and singly charged ions. Temporal variations in the plasma electron temperature and electron density were studied using different characteristic emission lines at various delay times. Results, based on Kr II lines, showed that the electron temperature decreased from 1.7 to 0.9 eV. The electron densities were estimated using different spectral lines at each delay time. In general, except for the Hβ line, in which the electron density decreased from 3.78 × 1016 cm-3 at 200 ns to 5.77 × 1015 cm-3 at 2000 ns, most of the electron density values measured from the different lines were of the order of 1015 cm-3 and decreased slightly while maintaining the same order when the delay time increased. The time dependences of the measured and simulated intensities of a spectral line of interest were also investigated. The validity of the partial or full local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions in plasma was explained based on time-resolved electron density measurements. The partial LTE condition was satisfied for delay times in the 200 ns to 1500 ns range. The results are summarized, and the dominant basic atomic processes in the gas mixture photoionized plasma are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irradiation of any gas with an intense EUV (extreme ultraviolet) radiation beam can result in creation of photoionized plasmas. The parameters of such plasmas can be significantly different when compared with those of the laser produced plasmas (LPP) or discharge plasmas. In this work, the photoionized plasmas were created in a krypton gas irradiated using an LPP EUV source operating at a 10Hz repetition rate. The Kr gas was injected into the vacuum chamber synchronously with the EUV radiation pulses. The EUV beam was focused onto a Kr gas stream using an axisymmetrical ellipsoidal collector. The resulting low temperature Kr plasmas emitted electromagnetic radiation in the wide spectral range. The emission spectra were measured either in the EUV or an optical range. The EUV spectrum was dominated by emission lines originating from Kr III and Kr IV ions, and the UV/VIS spectra were composed from Kr II and Kr I lines. The spectral lines recorded in EUV, UV, and VIS ranges were used for the construction of Boltzmann plots to be used for the estimation of the electron temperature. It was shown that for the lowest Kr III and Kr IV levels, the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions were not fulfilled. The electron temperature was thus estimated based on Kr II and Kr I species where the partial LTE conditions could be expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative study of photoionized plasmas created by two soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (SXR/EUV) laser plasma sources with different parameters is presented. The two sources are based on double-stream Xe/He gas-puff targets irradiated with high (500 J/0.3 ns) and low energy (10 J/ 1 ns) laser pulses. In both cases, the SXR/EUV beam irradiated the gas stream, injected into a vacuum chamber synchronously with the radiation pulse. Irradiation of gases resulted in formation of photoionized plasmas emitting radiation in the SXR/EUV range. The measured Ne plasma radiation spectra are dominated by emission lines corresponding to radiative transitions in singly charged ions. A significant difference concerns origin of the lines: K-shell or L-shell emissions occur in case of the high and low energy irradiating system, respectively. In high energy system, the electron density measurements were also performed by laser interferometry, employing a femtosecond laser system. A maximum electron density for Ne plasma reached the value of 2·1018cm-3. For the low energy system, a detection limit was too high for the interferometric measurements, thus only an upper estimation for electron density could be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present our recent results of a formation and characterization of plasma channels in elongated krypton and xenon gas puff targets. The study of their formation and temporal expansion was carried out using a combination of a soft X-ray radiography (shadowgraphy) and pinhole camera imaging. Two high-energy short laser pulses were used to produce the channels. When a pumping laser pulse was shaped into a line focus, using cylindrical and spherical lenses, the channels were not produced because much smaller energy density was deposited in the gas puff target. However, when a point focus was obtained, using just a spherical lens, the plasma channels appeared. The channels were up to 9 mm in length, had a quite uniform density profile, and expanded in time with velocities of about 2 cm/µs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, results of spectral investigations of low temperature photoionized plasmas, created by irradiation of gases with intense pulses of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation from a laserproduced plasma (LPP) source, are presented. The LPP source was based on a double-stream KrXe/He gas-puff target irradiated with 4 ns/0.8 J/10 Hz Nd:YAG laser pulses. The most intense emission from the source spanned a relatively narrow spectral region λ = 10-12 nm; however, spectrally integrated intensity at longer wavelengths was also significant. The EUV beam was focused on a gas stream, injected into a vacuum chamber synchronously with the EUV pulses. Irradiation of gases resulted in formation of photoionized plasmas emitting radiation in the EUV range. Radiation spectra, measured for plasmas produced in various gases, are dominated by emission lines, originating from single charged ions. Significant differences in spectral intensities and distributions between plasmas created in neon and molecular gases were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, spectral investigations of photoionized He plasmas were performed. The photoionized plasmas were created by irradiation of helium stream, with intense pulses from laser-plasma extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source. The EUV source was based on a double-stream Xe/Ne gas-puff target irradiated with 10 ns/10 J Nd:YAG laser pulses. The most intense emission from the source spanned a relatively narrow spectral region below 20 nm, however, spectrally integrated intensity at longer wavelengths was also significant. The EUV radiation was focused onto a gas stream, injected into a vacuum chamber synchronously with the EUV pulse. The long-wavelength part of the EUV radiation was used for backlighting of the photoionized plasmas to obtain absorption spectra. Both emission and absorption spectra in the EUV range were investigated. Significant differences between absorption spectra acquired for neutral helium and low temperature photoionized plasmas were demonstrated for the first time. Strong increase of intensities and spectral widths of absorption lines, together with a red shift of the K-edge, was shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present a self-imaging lithographic technique, capable of patterning large area periodic structures of arbitrary content with nanoscale resolution. They start from the original concept of Talbot imaging of binary gratings—and introduce the generalized Talbot imaging (GTI) where periodic structures of arbitrary shape and content form high-definition self-images. This effect can be used to create the complex, periodic patterns needed in the many lithographic fabrication steps of modern semiconductor devices. Since the process is diffraction limited, the achievable resolution depends only on the wavelength, mask patterning, and degree of coherence of the source. Their approach removes all the complex extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reflective masks and optics, replacing them with nanopatterned transmission masks and makes the whole process simple and cost effective. They have successfully verified the GTI concept using first a He–Ne laser, and then demonstrated its potential as a nanolithography method using a compact table-top soft x-ray (EUV) 46.9 nm laser source. These sources provide the high degree of coherence needed by diffraction-based imaging and are extendable to shorter wavelengths. They have recorded EUV GTI images up to the sixth Talbot plane, with consistent high quality good results, clearly demonstrating the ability of the GTI method to record high-resolution patterns at large distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For investigating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) damage on optics, a table-top EUV focusing optical system was developed in the laboratory. Based on a modified Schwarzschild objective with a large numerical aperture and a laser-plasma light source, this optical system can generate a focusing spot with the maximum energy density of 2.27 J/cm 2 at the focal plane of the objective at the wavelength of 13.5 nm. The structures and the characterized properties of this optical system are presented in this paper. For testing the performance of this setup, single-shot EUV damage tests were carried out on an optical substrate of CaF 2 and a gold thin film. The damage thresholds and morphologies of these samples were given and discussed with former research studies.