Formation of Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures on Reaction-Bonded Silicon Carbide by Femtosecond Pulsed Laser Irradiation

Abstract Reaction-bonded silicon carbide (RB-SiC) is an excellent engineering material with high hardness, stiffness, and resistance to chemical wear. However, its widespread use is hindered due to the properties mentioned above, making it difficult to machine functional surface structures through mechanical and chemical methods. This study investigated the fundamental characteristics of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs) on RB-SiC via femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation at a wavelength of 1028 nm. Low-spatial-frequency LIPSS (LSFL) and high-spatial-frequency LIPSS (HSFL) formed on the surface along directions perpendicular to the laser polarization. SiC grains surrounded by a large amount of Si show a reduced threshold for LIPSS formation. By varying laser fluence and scanning speed, HSFL–LSFL hybrid structures were generated on the SiC grains. Transmission electron microscopy observations and Raman spectroscopy were carried out to understand the formation mechanism of the hybrid LIPSS. A possible mechanism based on the generation of multiple surface electromagnetic waves due to the nonlinear response of SiC was proposed to explain the hybrid structure formation. Furthermore, the direction of laser scanning with respect to laser polarization affects the uniformity of the generated LIPSS.