Laser patterning of diamond. Part I. Characterization of surface morphology

As the use of diamond as a material for electronic and research applications increases, methods of patterning diamond will be required. In this work, single- and polycrystalline synthetic diamond samples were exposed to laser beams of different energies, wavelengths, and pulse durations. The effects of this exposure were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The threshold ablation energy density for 266 nm radiation with $\sim 30\text{ps}$ pulse duration was measured to be $\sim 14\text{J}/{\text{cm}}^2$ . The threshold for $\sim 10\text{ns}$ pulses at the same wavelength was similar, but the ablated area displayed larger surface damage. The surface damage and the threshold energy increase significantly for 532 and 1064 nm radiations. Ablation performed using 213 nm radiation produced the most uniform surface. Changes in the ablated surface are presented in detail.