Pulsed laser deposition
Simple setup, straightforward process:
- Laser and optics, target and substrate
– laser pulses are focused on the surface of a solid target - Laser ablation
– material is detached from the target - Ablation plume, material flow
– the detached energetic material expands from the point of ablation and travels to the substrate - Layer growth
– the detached material is deposited on the surface to be coated
Features
- Conservation of composition of the source material
- Strong adhesion between the coating and the substrate
- Low-temperature process
- Applicable to almost any target and substrate materials
- Multi-layer structures
- Density control