Ion beam analysis of pulsed laser deposited Ti:sapphire

Pulsed laser deposition PLD.has been established as a growth method for thin films of optically active materials such as Ti:sapphire and Nd:YAG. In this paper we describe the ion beam analyses of Ti:sapphire films deposited by PLD onto single crystal Si and MgO substrates at 300, 900 and 1400 K. Rutherford back-scattering RBS.and Proton induced X-ray emission PIXE.results are reported and interpreted in correlation with X-ray diffraction XRD.analysis. The highest quality films we have grown are shown to consist of poly-crystals of Ti doped a-Al2O3, in mainly two orientations. The PIXE investigations indicate a reduction in the Ti ion dopant concentration in the films when compared to the bulk source material, the loss presumably occurring during the transfer of material from ablation target to the substrate. The influence of the deposition parameters on the resulting films are discussed. q1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.