Ultrashort Pulse Laser Ablation for Surface Elemental Analysis

Abstract

Laser microablation processes of solid materials (metals, alloys, dielectrics) were studied for their application to surface elemental analysis. The features of laser plasmas and craters produced by femtosecond and picosecond lasers are presented. The application of laser ablation to surface microanalysis in combination with optical emission spectroscopy (LA-OES) is discussed. The methods to control laser ablation for more efficient elemental analysis and the applications to surface characterisation with submicrometric and nanometric resolutions are proposed.