Pulsed laser ablation of La Sr CoO 0.5 0.5 3

The ablation process of La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 by a spatial uniform 248 nm excimer laser beam has been characterized. Ablation rates, changes in the target surface morphology and composition have been studied as a function of the laser fluence. The dependence of the ablation rate on the laser fluence has been explained by a model based on plasma absorption. The threshold fluence for complete dissociation of the surface has been determined and is found equal to 0.7 Jrcm2. Above this threshold, a steady-state target surface condition is obtained within 30 pulses. Below the threshold fluence, CoO nuclei form, which have a pronounced effect on the target composition and morphology. In addition, ellipsometric and reflectance spectra have been measured in the photon energy range of 1.8 to 5.0 eV. q1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.