PLD plasma plume analysis: a summary of the PSI contribution

We report on the properties of laser-induced plasma plumes generated by ns pulsed excimer lasers as used for pulsed laser deposition to prepare thin oxide films. A focus is on the time and spatial evolution of chemical species in the plasma plume as well as the mechanisms related to the plume expansion. The overall dynamics of such a plume is governed by the species composition in particular if three or more elements are involved. We studied the temporal evolution of the plume, the composition of the chemical species in the plasma, as well as their electric charge. In particular, ionized species can have an important influence on film growth. Likewise, the different oxygen sources contributing to the overall oxygen content of an oxide film are presented and discussed. Important for the growth of oxide thin films is the compositional transfer of light element such as oxygen or Li. We will show and discuss how to monitor these light elements using plasma spectroscopy and plasma imaging and outline some consequences of our experimental results.

Automated summary

We investigated the properties of laser-induced plasma plumes generated by ns pulsed excimer lasers in pulsed laser deposition of thin oxide films. The focus was on the evolution of chemical species and expansion mechanisms of the plasma plume. Species composition plays a crucial role in the overall dynamics of the plume, especially when three or more elements are involved. We examined the temporal evolution, chemical composition, and electric charge of the plume species. The study also discussed the contribution of different oxygen sources to the oxygen content of oxide films and the importance of compositional transfer for the growth of oxide thin films, such as oxygen or Li.