Thermoelectric devices are developing toward high density and miniaturization with a large filling factor for new applications in chip thermal management and microenergy harvesting. Pulsed laser etching has become one of the most effective tools for the patterning construction of highly integrated micro-thermoelectric devices. However, the laser spot size and Gaussian laser energy distribution restrict the processing size and accuracy of microchannels. Moreover, the rapid temperature rise caused by laser energy injection would also raise serious problems such as element volatilization, cracks, and recast layers. Herein, a liquid-assisted nanosecond laser ablation technology with magnetically controlled plasma is proposed to etch microchannels on thermoelectric thick films. By evaluating the size and shape of microchannels, we theoretically investigated the influence of cavitation bubbles on the laser optical path and surface roughness in laser-induced plasma ablation. In addition, the energy criterion for high-precision ablation is revealed, and the effect of magnetic field on ablation threshold is explained by magnetic constraint on energy and kinetic properties of the laser-induced charged plasma plume. Finally, the high-precision and low-damage microchannels are achieved on Bi2Te3 thermoelectric thick films with a minimum line width of 19.12 μm and a small sidewall inclination degree of tan θ = 0.085. This work provides a promising alternative for the fabrication of high-density three-dimensional (3D) patterning in semiconductor microdevices.
Keywords: Bi2Te3-based material; high-precision microchannel; low-damage ablation; magnetically controlled plasma; nanosecond laser.