In-volume structuring of silicon using picosecond laser pulses

We have demonstrated for the first time the permanent local modification of the bulk of silicon by repeated illumination with infrared (1.55 mu m) picosecond pulses. Furthermore, we evaluated the characteristics of inscribing permanent modifications in the bulk material for different pulse durations from 0.8 to 10 ps in terms of their reproducibility and controllability of their morphology. Our results are based on a simple experimental setup that demonstrates the possibility of using picosecond pulses for the local modification of bulk silicon as a potential alternative to more complex irradiation strategies required for femtosecond pulse processing.