Analysis of recoil force during Nd:YAG laser ablation of silicon

Abstract

Recoil force exerted on the substrate during a nanosecond laser ablation of silicon is measured. The ablation sample is placed at the end of a 400-μm-thick and 13-mm-long silicon cantilever. The vibration amplitude of the cantilever induced by the recoil force is measured in real time with a probe beam. By comparing the deflection amplitude of the cantilever with a theoretical model, the recoil momentum is estimated. For laser irradiance in the order of 1011 W/cm2, the recoil pressure reached a value of over 40×109 Pa.