Numerical study of femtosecond laser-assisted atom probe tomography

We investigate the mechanisms of a laser-assisted atom probe tomography technique. In this method, a sub-wavelength tip is subjected both to a very strong static electric field and to a femtosecond laser pulse. As a result, ions are ejected from the tip one by one. By using femtosecond lasers, one can analyze not only metals but also semiconductors and dielectric materials. To better understand the ejection process, a numerical model is developed based on the drift-diffusion approach. The model accounts for such effects as field penetration, hole and electron movement, and laser absorption. For the given value of the dc field, a substantial band bending and an increase in hole density at the surface of the silicon tip are observed. This bending effect changes silicon absorption coefficient at the surface and significantly increases recombination time of laser-induced carriers.