INNOVATIVE PULSED LASER DEPOSITION FOR MANUFACTURE OF THIN FILMS

摘要

Pulse laser deposition (PLD) is a very renowned technique used to deposit high-quality thin film coating. This is done with the help of high-power laser pulses that are typically about 10~8 watt per square centimeter (Wcm~(-2)) to melt, evaporate, and ionize a coating material from the surface to a target. The ablation process creates a transient, highly luminous plasma cloud of the coating material that expands rapidly away from the target surface. This plasma plume then condenses on the appropriately placed target surface, and the thin film grows on it. In spite of the significant advantages of PLD over other thin film deposition techniques, industrial acceptance of PLD has been slow and till date most applications have been confined into the research environment. This is mainly due to the low-growth rate of the process that limits its use in industrial volume manufacturing.