Formation of rectangular channels in fused silica by laser-induced chemical etching

Abstract

In this paper, we report results of our research on the formation of micro-channels with the rectangular cross section inside bulk fused silica. The selective etching of channels was performed by the technique called the femtosecond laser induced chemical etching. Hydrofluoric acid was used as an agent for selective removal of laser-modified regions in fused silica samples. The method of the channel cross section control based on multiple scanning is proposed. The effect of scanning speed, laser pulse energy, and polarization on the etching selectivity was investigated and discussed.