Modeling and numerical simulation of laser matter interaction and ablation with a 193 nanometer laser for nanosecond pulse

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to develop and validate a model and a numerical code describing the laser matter interaction and also laser ablation. The laser wavelength is 193 nm and the pulse duration is several nanoseconds.Design/methodology/approach – The developed model is based on strong theoretical background (cf. references). The electronic nonequilibrium aspect is always taken into account. The electronic nonequilibrium is one of the key aspect the UV laser matter interaction and must be treated carefully and that is not always the case. The numerical code was developed using efficient and versatile numerical methods. The model and simulations are always compared to experiments in order to validate them and also to find their limitations.Findings – This work has greatly improved the code accuracy. The key role of the electronic nonequilibrium is also demonstrated. From experimental comparisons it is obvious that photo‐ablation should be taken into account for the lower fluences, but to do so,...