ABLATION OF FUSED QUARTZ BY ULTRAVIOLET, VISIBLE OR INFRARED-LASER COUPLED WITH VUV LASER

Ablation of fused quartz by a 266, 532 or 1064 nm wavelength laser cou pled with VUV laser (133-184 nm) was reported, With the VUV-266 nm las er system, high-quality ablation of fused quartz with a well-defined p atterned structure and a surface roughness value as small as 46.2 nm a t the circumference of she patterned structure was carried out. The ab lation quality was poorer and the surface roughness value was higher, at 97.8 nm; when the VUV-532 nm laser system was used, but the ablatio n quality was still better than in the case of 266 or 532 nm single wa velength ablation. In contrast. clean ablation of fused quartz could n ot be achieved using the VUV-1064 nm laser system. The ablated region appeared to be an undefined crater-like structure, and the surface rou ghness value reached 121.0 nm, which were almost the same characterist ics as in the case of 1064, nm single wavelength ablation. On the basi s of the baud structure of the fused quartz and the excited-state abso rption determined through coupling of the VUV laser and the ablation l aser (266, 532 or 1064 nm); the ablation mechanism was discussed.