Abstract

The fundamental mechanism for laser-stimulated surface processes (LSSP), migration, adsorption, desorption, decomposition, and recombination, is investigated by both classical and quantum mechanical techniques. Depending on various system parameters such as laser frequency, intensity and pulse duration, energy relaxation rate, and the optical and thermal properties of the materials, these transient LSSPs can be selective or thermal. The experimental evidence for both types of LSSP and their applications to surface chemistry and micro-processing are discussed based on present theory.

© 1983 Optical Society of America