Laser-assisted highly organized structuring of copper

Results on the growth of highly organized, periodic microstructures on a copper substrate utilizing a nanosecond pulsed Nd:YVO4 laser at 532 nm are reported. At the laser energy fluence of similar to 2.5 J/cm(2) (intensity of similar to 0.21 GW/cm(2)) arrays of microstructures with average periods ranging from similar to 40 mu m to similar to 80 mu m, depending on the distance between the consecutive laser scans, are generated. The employed technique for irradiating copper and the mechanism for formation of the highly organized microstructures are discussed. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America