Surface resonance properties of pure Cu and Cu80Zr20 metallic glass films with nanoparticles induced by pulsed-laser dewetting process

Abstract Pure Cu and Cu80Zr20 thin films with a thickness of 10 nm were deposited on glass substrates using a high-vacuum sputtering system. A pulsed-laser dewetting process was then performed using a NIR laser system. For the pure Cu film, nanoparticles were produced for the accumulated energy (AE) densities in the range of 0.6–11 J/cm2. The particle size was found to increase with increasing scanning speed and repetition rate, and with decreasing power. For the Cu80Zr20 thin film, nanoparticles were formed under all AE values under consideration. The nanoparticles consisted almost entirely of Cu; with the Zr atoms being repelled to the bottom of the nanoparticle and surroundings. The optical absorption peak wavelengths for the Cu and Cu80Zr20 films produced under different dewetting conditions all lay in the range of 580–700 nm. Hence, it was inferred that the nanoparticles produced in the two films had a similar size, shape and composition.