Silver and gold island films (IF) of 0.5 - 10 nm effective thickness deposited on glass or sapphire surfaces were used for direct laser recording of sub-micron two-dimensional (2D) periodic structures and conducting wires of nanometer width. The IF were irradiated by two or four coherent intersecting laser beams of 355 nm wavelength, with pulse duration of 8 ns, and pulse repetition of 10 Hz. The fabricated structures were analyzed by AFM. Two or four beams create a 1D or 2D interference field on the irradiated surface, with periodically varying light intensity in one or two directions, respectively. As a result, depending on the size and surface density of the metal islands, various 1D and 2D periodic structures were created, consisting of thin lines (walls), nano-meter hillocks, or clusters of alternating sizes. We have shown that islands located at the regions of highest intensity ("hot spots") were heated to high temperatures and even evaporated due to absorption of light energy during the pulse. During evaporation, a cloud of nanoclusters is formed in the air just above the hot spots, and after the end of the pulse, the cloud redeposits onto the substrate. At the regions irradiated by lower intensity where the island temperature is not high enough for IF evaporation, liquid islands move along the surface in local temperature gradients from hot to cold. We present theoretical analysis of temperature distributions around islands of various sizes under ns pulsed irradiation and calculate kinetics of island motion in a temperature gradient.

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