Formation of erbium-doped tellurite-modified silica film via femtosecond laser ablation

Abstract Femtosecond (fs) laser technology has evolved as an alternative technique to fabricate thin film by blending the plasma produced from the target material with a substrate. This ultrafast laser was used to fabricate the erbium-doped tellurite-modified silica (EDTS) thin film that is beneficial for optical waveguide and laser applications. There are several very important parameters in this process, among which are the conditions of the substrate used and also the time required to obtain a certain thickness. Film thickness increases with time; however, there is a limitation whereby the substrate becomes fragile at a certain period due to exposure to particle bombardment that has very high energy for a long period. For the sample where the EDTS reaches the surface of the sample substrate, there are small crystallites appear at the interface between the silicon and the EDTS. On the other hand, the fs laser ablation process is quite challenging for a short period because the film obtained is not completely uniform.