Observations of surface modifications induced by the multiple pulse irradiation using a soft picosecond X-ray laser beam

Ishino, Masahiko; Faenov, A. Ya.*; Tanaka, Momoko; Tamotsu, Satoshi*; Hasegawa, Noboru; Nishikino, Masaharu; Pikuz, T.; Kaihori, Takeshi*; Kawachi, Tetsuya

To study the interactions between the picosecond soft X-ray laser (SXRL) beams and material surfaces, we irradiated the SXRL pulses having a wavelength of 13.9 nm, a duration of 7 ps to Au, Cu, and Si surfaces. Under a single pulse irradiation, the ripple-like structures were formed on the Au and Cu surfaces. These structures were different from the previously investigated conical structures formed on Al surface. And we could confirm that the developments of modified structures, i.e. growth of hillocks, on Au and Cu surfaces were observed under the multiple SXRL pulse exposures. On the Si surface, the deep holes, seemed to be melting structures, induced by the accumulation of multiple pulse irradiations were found. The SXRL beam irradiation on various material surfaces causes the different behaviors of surface modifications, and the changes of surface behaviors are attributed to the differences in elemental properties such as the attenuation lengths of X-ray photons.