Pulsed laser deposition of metals in low pressure inert gas

The influence of an ambient Ar gas on the pulsed laser deposition PLD.of metallic systems Ag, Fe, FerAg.is examined. Time-of-flight TOF.measurements and measurements of the deposition rate are presented showing a reduction of particle energy with increasing Ar pressure and a reduction of resputtering and interface mixing. The determined Ar pressure for significant changes of the effective sputter yield is about 0.04 mbar. The experimental results are explained by scattering of a dense cloud of ablated material in a diluted gas. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved