Multipulse laser ablation of BiSn eutectic: Noncongruent element transfer and morphology analysis

The surface of a eutectic BiSn target was ablated by several series of pulses at different spots using an excimer laser with a wavelength of 351 nm and a pulse duration of 20 ns. Morphology of ablation craters formed under a different number of pulses was analyzed with a scanning electron microscope, an optical profilometer, and an energy dispersion spectroscope (EDS). Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) measurements were taken for each crater with the last pulse in the series of pulses. The ratio of peak intensities (Bi I peak at 472.25 nm and Sn I 563.16 nm) of LIBS spectra for craters formed by different series of pulses decreased from maximum at a single pulse to a stable magnitude after a series of 70 pulses. EDS mapping of crater areas for different series of pulses shows a decrease in Bi atoms abundance, in correlation with the decrease in normalized intensity of Bi peak LIBS spectra. The change of the chemical composition in the ablation area is explained based on the Knudsen evaporation model. For the first time, pronounced hydrodynamic effects resulting in the formation of 50 μm-high rims were observed. The unusual morphology of the ablated area is explained on the basis of hydrodynamic effects and recoil pressure.