Short-pulse laser ablation of metals: large-scale molecular dynamics simulations.
Abstract
We discuss our atomistic simulations metal ablation, and applications to laser machining and pulsed laser deposition of thin films. The output from a continuum model of the laser beam interaction with the metal target provides initial conditions for molecular dynamics simulations. These simulations show rapid melting, the nucleation of voids in the melt, void growth and coalescence, and the ejection of atoms and clusters. The ejection of a liquid layer, approximately 10 nm thick, occurs in a small range of pulse energy densities. The morphology of the ablated surface is discussed, since this is crucial to precise micro-machining applications. Implications for pulsed laser deposition of thin films are based on modeling of the impact of the ejecta with substrates. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.
- Publication:
-
APS March Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- March 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004APS..MARJ27003G