Negative ions: The overlooked species in thin film growth by pulsed laser deposition

Journal Article · Mon Nov 07 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3660399· OSTI ID:22027800

Esposito, M; Bator, M; Lippert, T; Schneider, C W; Wokaun, A ^[1]; Doebeli, M ^[2]

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1. General Energy Research Department, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland)
2. Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich (Switzerland)

Plasma plume species from a ceramic La{sub 0.4}Ca{sub 0.6}MnO{sub 3} target were studied by plasma mass spectrometry as a function of laser fluence, background gas, and deposition pressure to understand the interplay between plasma composition and oxide thin film growth by pulsed laser deposition. The plume composition reveals a significant contribution of up to 24% of negative ions, most notably using a N{sub 2}O background. The significance of negative ions for thin film growth is shown for La{sub 0.4}Ca{sub 0.6}MnO{sub 3} films grown in different background conditions where the best structural properties coincide with the largest amount of negative plasma species.

• OSTI ID: 22027800
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 99, Issue 19; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ANIONS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CERAMICS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
ENERGY BEAM DEPOSITION
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
LASER MATERIALS
LASER RADIATION
MANGANATES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
NITROUS OXIDE
PLASMA
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
PULSED IRRADIATION
THIN FILMS