Abstract

Tins study addresses die ablation of thin metal (principally Aluminium) films, induced by the incidence of a single pulse of ~ 20ns duration from a KrF eximer laser, operating at wavelength 248nm. Prior to the exposure the Aluminium film is characterised by means of surface plasmon (SP) excitation in an optical rig, also operating ~ 250nm, using an Xenon lamp and monochromator. This characterisation determines the dielectric functions and thicknesses of the Al and native Al-oxide, as well as precisely defining the angle for optimum SP excitation. The latter is crucial to surface plasmon enhanced laser ablation studies.

© 1996 IEEE