SHORT-PULSE LASER ACTIVATION OF METAL-ELECTRODES

The action of nanosecond laser pulses (10-100 MW/cm2) on metal electrodes has been investigated in potentiostatic and galvanostatic regimes. Laser heating was shown to cause plastic deformations in the metal subsurface layer, which results in the activation of metal dissolution, hydrogen evolution and plating in the exposed area. The investigation of the (001) plane of a tungsten crystal electrode irradiated by laser pulses in an etching solution revealed growth of the dislocation density up to 10(9) cm-2 as well as dislocation structure self-organisation in the form of concentric circles. A theoretical consideration of laser activation is also presented.