Laser Nanofabrication

This first ever overview of an area of growing importance within the hot topic of nanoscience begins by covering nanomaterials as well as fundamentals of laser ablation, condensation and nucleation. It also includes deposition in liquids, and laser–induced chemistry. The result is a systematic description of all the collected data, leading to a self–consistent vision of the phenomena related to laser nanofabrication.

Introduction Chapter 1: Nanomaterials and their applications 1.1. Newly emerging nanomaterials, their properties and applications 1.2 Problems and challenges in synthesis and manipulation of properties of nanomaterials 1.3 Interest to the employment of lasers and laser–assisted methods for the synthesis of new nanomaterials Chapter 2: Fundamentals of laser ablation 2.1 Parameters of existing laser systems, their properties related to modification of materials properties, nanofabrication and nanomanipulation 2.2 Absorption of laser light 2.3 Heating by laser light, laser annealing 2.4 Melting and solidification 2.5 Ablation of material 2.6 Formation of laser plasma and its influence on ablation process 2.7 Dynamics of laser–matter interaction under different parameters of pumping radiation 2.8 Non–linear phenomena under laser–matter interaction at high laser intensities 2.9 Properties of laser–materials interaction under ultrashort laser pulse regime 2.10 Conclusions Chapter 3: Fundamentals of condensation and nucleation 3.1 Thermodynamics of condensation and nucleation 3.2 Stationary and non–stationary nucleation 3.3 Factors affecting nucleation 3.4 Stages of nucleation and cluster growth 3.5 Coalescence and agglomeration of clusters 3.6 Conclusions Chapter 4: Laser micro– and nanomachining 4.1 Micro–, nano–, pico and femtosecond ablation regimes: characteristics and properties for writing of nanofeatures on the surface 4.2 Formation of periodic microarrays by interferometry and diffractive optics methods 4.3 Multiphoton ultrashort laser–based absorption: a way to write sub–diffraction limited features in dielectrics 4.4 3D Nanofabrication by laser ablation in photosensitive polymers and glasses 4.5 Femtosecond lithography: formation of nanoscale plasmonics components 4.6 Micro– and nanoparticle–assisted ablation to write nanofeatures on the surface, near field laser nanomachining 4.7 Conclusions Chapter 5: Spontaneous laser–assisted formation of nanoarchitectures 5.1 Formation of micro– and nanoscale features and periodic structures on the surface under laser–materials interaction 5.2 Particularity of fs laser–based nanostructuring: from sub wavelength periodic features to black silicon and colored metals 5.3 Laser–assisted spontaneous formation of micro– and nanoscale features and periodic structures inside transparent dielectrics 5.4 Laser–assisted formation of nanofeatures on metal films 5.5 Laser–induced self–assembling of nanoparticles/nanostructures on the surface 5.6. Laser Plasma–assisted nanostructuring: particularities, mechanisms and properties of produced structures 5.7 Conclusions Chapter 6: Formation of nanoclusters in the laser ablation process 6.1 Conditions of nucleation and nanoclustering under laser–matter interaction 6.2 Size and energetic characteristics of laser–ablated species under different parameters of pumping radiation 6.3 Laser ablation–based nanocluster growth in a residual buffer gas 6.4 Dynamics of nanocluster growth and luminescent properties of laser–ablated species 6.5 Particularities of nanocluster growth in conditions of hot, highly absorbing plasma 6.6 Conclusions Chapter 7: Pulsed Laser Deposition as a tool to form nanostructures films and nanopowders 7.1 Interest to the fabrication of nanostructured films and potential applications 7.2 Configurations of Pulsed Laser Deposition for nanomaterials synthesis: from simple deposition to cluster selection 7.3 Formation of nanostructured semiconductor–based films under laser ablation in residual gases, their structural, chemical and optical properties 7.4 Formation of nanostructured metal–based films for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy applications 7.5 Formation of nanowires by pulsed laser ablation 7.6 Laser–assisted synthesis of carbon nanotubes, nanohorns and nanofoams 7.7 Conclusions Chapter 8: Laser ablation in liquids: fundamentals and properties 8.1 Physical aspects of laser–matter interaction in liquid environment 8.2 Dynamics of laser–liquid interaction: plasma confinement, energy transfer, formation of cavitation bubble and its collapse 8.3 Particularities of laser–liquid interaction in the ultrashort pulse regime 8.4 Non–linear effects during laser–liquid interaction: self–focusing, supercontinuum generation 8.5 Conclusions Chapter 9: Nanostructuring of surfaces by laser ablation in liquids 9.1 Schemes of laser micro– and nanomachining in liquid environment 9.2 Laser–assisted surface etching to form micro– and nanostructures 9.3 Spontaneous formation of nanoscale architectures under laser–surface interaction in liquid ambience 9.4 Nanostructuring during liquid–assisted laser cleaning of surfaces 9.5 Conclusions Chapter 10: Synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles/nanostructures by laser ablation in liquids 10.1 Interest to the fabrication of colloidal nanomaterials by laser–assisted methods 10.2 Fundamental aspects of laser ablation and nanocluster production in liquid environment 10.3 Schemes of laser ablation–based production of nanoparticles/nanostructures in liquids 10.4 Synthesis of nanoparticles in neutral liquid environment: influence of laser radiation parameters on size, structural and chemical characteristics of produced nanoparticles 10.5 Synthesis of nanoparticles in the presence of chemically active groups and compounds: conditions of nanocluster growth, mechanisms of size control and characteristics of final nanomaterial products 10.6 Synthesis of alloys and core–shells by laser–assisted methods 10.7 Properties of plasmonics structures produced by laser ablation in liquids: size, structural characteristics, surface chemistry, functionalization 10.8 Properties of semiconductor nanostructures fabricated by laser ablation in liquids 10.9 Properties of carbon–, diamond, boron nitrade and other nanomaterials produced by laser ablation in liquids 10.10 Properties of magnetic nanomaterials produced by laser ablation in liquids 10.11 Properties of hybrid structures fabricated by laser ablation in liquids 10.12 Application of nanoparticles/nanostructures produced by laser ablation in liquids for tasks of biological sensing/imaging, photodynamic therapies and disinfection 10.13 Conclusions Chapter 11: Laser Manipulation of size and chemical properties of nanoparticles and nanostructures 11.1 Physical aspects of laser–nanoparticles interaction, excitation of plasmons over metallic nanostructures 11.2 Laser–assisted manipulation of properties of surface–supported plasmonics nanostructures: excitation of plasmons to finely tune size and shape characteristics of nanostructures 11.3 Laser–assisted excitation of plasmons over colloidal nanoparticles: size control and alloying 11.4 Non–plasmonics methods of nanoparticle size control 11.5 Nanoparticle size control through the femtosecond laser–based supercontinuum–based fragmentation 11.6 Conclusions Chapter 12: Future prospects of laser nanofabrication 12.1 Emerging applications and need in novel classes of nanomaterials 12.2 Trends in the development of laser systems, potential benefits for laser nanofabrication tasks 12.3 Niche and advantages of laser–assisted methods in the synthesis of new of nanomaterials Conclusive Remarks Literature