SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL THIN-FILM MATERIALS BY PULSED-LASER DEPOSITION

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a conceptually and experimentally sim ple yet highly versatile tool for thin-film and multilayer research. I ts advantages for the film growth of oxides and other chemically compl ex materials include stoichiometric transfer, growth from an energetic beam, reactive deposition, and inherent simplicity for the growth of multilayered structures. With the use of PLD, artificially layered mat erials and metastable phases have been created and their properties va ried by control of the layer thicknesses. In situ monitoring technique s have provided information about the role of energetic species in the formation of ultrahard phases and in the doping of semiconductors. Cl uster-assembled nanocrystalline and composite films offer opportunitie s to control and produce new combinations of properties with PLD.