Laser-induced transformation as a tool for structural characterization of materials by Raman spectroscopy

The Raman spectra of amorphous phases are sometimes difficult to interpret because the information content of spectra is usually low. However, laser-induced damage can be used in order to transform materials into phases that provide spectra that can be evaluated more easily. Titanium oxides formed tribochemically as reaction products in wear scars and potentiodynamically produced vanadium oxide thin films are modified by laser-induced crystallization or oxidation, Investigation of the transformed material allows the characterization of the molecular structure of the genuine material, Laser-induced transformation can also lead to additional information on non-amorphous materials such as iron oxide wear debris. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.