Surface, structural and mechanical properties of zirconium ablated by KrF excimer laser radiation

We study the effect of the ambient – dry (air) and wet (propanol) – environment on the surface, structural and mechanical properties of zirconium samples after irradiation with a KrF excimer laser (wavelength of 248 nm, pulse duration of 20 ns and repetition rate of 20 Hz). The samples are exposed to an increasing number of laser pulses varying from 500 to 2000 in both media. Various features of the treated targets such as surface morphology, chemical composition, crystalline structure and hardness are analysed by complementary characterisation techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and Vickers hardness tester, respectively. Surface morphology and hardness are explained on the basis of modifications in crystalinity, residual pressures and chemical properties of the sample surface after its irradiation.