Femtosecond pulsed laser ablation of molybdenum carbide: Nanoparticles and thin film characteristics

In this paper we have used pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique to ablate a Mo2C target in vacuum by using an ultra-short pulse laser, with a 250 fs pulse duration, carrying out the study of both plasma and film characteristics. The aim of the work is to connect the film structure and morphology to the characteristics of the nanoparticles found in the plasma produced by the target ablation. To analyze the plasma we have used ICCD fast imaging and optical emission spectroscopy while the films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force spectroscopy. The obtained results have been interpreted considering an ablation model which justifies the emission of molten nanoparticles directly from the target.