Femtosecond Laser Ablation of Silicon using GHz to THz Burst Pulses: Numerical Simulation

In recent years, laser processing with GHz and THz bursts of femtosecond pulses has attracted great attention to improving the efficiency of laser-induced microfabrication [3, 4]. The efficient absorption of laser energy in the GHz burst and the heat-accumulation effect have been proposed as the main mechanisms for ablation enhancement [3-5]. However, the possible mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated and more investigations are needed. Therefore, in this study, we used COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate the GHz and THz burst mode femtosecond laser ablation of silicon and investigate the responsible mechanisms of the ablation efficiency enhancement.