Pulsed laser deposition of NbTex thin films

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of niobium telluride was performed by vaporisation of NbTe2 bulk targets with subsequent deposition of the ablation plume on heated silicon substrates. The laser energy density onto the target and the temperature of the substrate appear to play a major role in the quality of the deposited films. Correlations between these two parameters and the film composition on the one hand, and the structural properties on the other, were sought by systematic elemental and X-ray diffraction analysis. The deposition conditions for well-crystallized PLD films belonging to the Nb5Te4 (1D) structural type with strong (110) preferential orientation were demonstrated for the first time.