Nanostructured europium oxide thin films deposited by pulsed laser ablation of a metallic target in a He buffer atmosphere

Journal Article · Wed Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.3457784· OSTI ID:22053990

Luna, H; Franceschini, D F; Prioli, R; Guimaraes, R B; Sanchez, C M; Canal, G P; Barbosa, M D. L.; Galvao, R M. O. ^[1]

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1. Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Cx. Postal 68528, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-972 (Brazil)

Nanostrucured europium oxide and hydroxide films were obtained by pulsed Nd:YAG (532 nm) laser ablation of a europium metallic target, in the presence of a 1 mbar helium buffer atmosphere. Both the produced film and the ambient plasma were characterized. The plasma was monitored by an electrostatic probe, for plume expansion in vacuum or in the presence of the buffer atmosphere. The time evolution of the ion saturation current was obtained for several probe to substrate distances. The results show the splitting of the plume into two velocity groups, being the lower velocity profile associated with metal cluster formation within the plume. The films were obtained in the presence of helium atmosphere, for several target-to-substrate distances. They were analyzed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, x-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy, for as-deposited and 600 deg. C treated-in-air samples. The results show that the as-deposited samples are amorphous and have chemical composition compatible with europium hydroxide. The thermally treated samples show x-ray diffraction peaks of Eu{sub 2}O{sub 3}, with chemical composition showing excess oxygen. Film nanostructuring was shown to be strongly correlated with cluster formation, as shown by velocity splitting in probe current versus time plots.

• OSTI ID: 22053990
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 28, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2010 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1553-1813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ABLATION
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ELECTROSTATIC PROBES
ENERGY BEAM DEPOSITION
EUROPIUM HYDROXIDES
EUROPIUM OXIDES
HELIUM
LASER RADIATION
NANOSTRUCTURES
NEODYMIUM LASERS
OXYGEN
PLASMA DENSITY
PULSED IRRADIATION
RUTHERFORD BACKSCATTERING SPECTROSCOPY
THIN FILMS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION