Three-dimensional micro- and submicrometer-scale structures exhibit unique functions that cannot be obtained with bulk materials. To create such three-dimensional microstructures with high precision and efficiency, we proposed laser ablation using a photonic nanojet. A photonic nanojet is an optical beam with both a small beam diameter and a large depth of focus, which is obtained by irradiating a dielectric microsphere using a laser beam. In this study, we proposed an in-process depth measurement method to improve the machining accuracy of laser ablation using a photonic nanojet. We focused on the propagation characteristics of the shock waves generated during laser ablation. Shock waves were generated at the deepest point of the machining area and reached the microspheres as the pressure decayed, showing that different machining depths exerted different pressures on the microspheres. The microspheres were displaced by the pressure of the shock wave, and the amount of displacement depended on the pressure. Therefore, microspheres can be used as probes for shock wave detection, and the machining depth can be determined by measuring the displacement of microspheres during photonic nanojet machining. In this study, the displacement of a microsphere was measured simultaneously during photonic nanojet machining using a confocal optical system. From the obtained microsphere vibration data, the effect of the shock wave pressure was extracted, and the displacement of the microsphere due to the shock wave was obtained. When the hole depth varied from 155 to 1121 nm, the displacement of the microspheres varied from 0.58 to 0.03 µm. The experimental results show that the displacement of the microspheres vibrated by the shock wave decreased as the machining depth increased. This was due to an increase in the shock wave propagation distance and a decrease in the pressure of the shock wave as the machining depth increased. In conclusion, in-process depth measurements are possible in laser ablation using a photonic nanojet with a microsphere as a probe to detect shock waves.

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