Irradiation of Si(1 0 0), Si(1 1 1), Si(1 1 0), Ge(1 0 0), and Ge(1 1 1) is compared for 150 fs, 800 nm wavelength pulses in a rough vacuum atmosphere. The surface crystalline orientation of the material is found to affect the final morphology, with (1 1 1)- and (1 1 0)-surface orientations exhibiting a much higher tendency for conical structure formation under multiple-pulse irradiation. Using cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, the structures on Si(1 1 1) are found to have primarily crystalline cores with the same crystalline orientation as the substrate. The results show that the crystalline orientation of the target should be considered in laser machining applications. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.