Generation of anisotropic stress in borosilicate glass by excimer laser irradiation

Spatially homogeneous irradiation of borosilicate glass with an ArF excimer laser (193 nm) induces tensile stress by generating a stress bearing melt layer, deforming the substrate parabolically, analogous to a stress-bearing coating. Here, we show that patterned irradiation producing deep structures and thick debris films produces anisotropic bending and enables directional decoupling, offering potential for advanced figure correction. We combine insights from material modification and ablation to formulate a structural mechanics model describing stress generation. The model's validity is confirmed through finite-element simulations, which accurately reproduce the experimental results.