When CO2‐laser pulses of ∼50 ns duration and intensity of ∼100–500 MW/cm2are incident upon NixP1−xsurfaces in oxygen‐containing atmospheres, distinctive ’’ripple’’ patterns are etched into the surfaces. The ripple wave fronts are normal to theEfield and vary in spacing from ∼&lgr;laserat normal incidence to ∼0.5&lgr;laserfor &pgr; polarization at grazing incidence.