MULTIBAND ANALYSIS OF PHOTOLUMINESCENCE SPECTRA FROM ELECTRONICALLY EXCITED GAS-PHASE SPECIES PRODUCED DURING LASER-ABLATION OF LEAD-OXIDE,ZIRCONIUM-OXIDE, TITANIUM-OXIDE, AND LEAD-ZIRCONATE-TITANATE TARGETS

The analysis of multiband/line photoluminescence spectra produced by e lectronically excited gas-phase species in the plasma plume, generated by impact of a KrF excimer laser beam (248 nm) on various metal oxide targets, has been carried out, and the results are reported here. It was established that, at 1.1 J/cm(2) in 900 mTorr of O-2, (i) Pb(I), P b(II), and O-2(+) are generated from PbO(s) targets; (ii) Zr(I), Zr(II ), ZrO, O-2, and O-2(+) from ZrO2(s) targets; (iii) Ti(I), Ti(II), TiO , TiO2, and O-2(+) from TiO2(s) targets; and (iv) Pb(I), Pb(II), PbO, Zr(I), Zr(II), ZrO, Ti(I), Ti(II), TiO, TiO2, O(I), O(II), O-2, and O- 2(+) from a solid Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O-3(PZT) target. The observation of exci ted oxygen species may be attributed to the presence of ambient molecu lar O-2 and/or the oxygen-rich metal oxide and PZT targets. The much l ower standard enthalpy of atomization, Delta H degrees(a), for PbO(s) and the much higher Delta H degrees(a), values for ZrO2(s) and TiO2(s) are consistent with observing molecular metal oxide species, MO(n)(g) , in the ablation plume from ZrO2(s) and TiO2(s) but observing almost exclusively atomic Pb(I) and Pb(II) from the PbO(s) target. Additional ly, a detailed explanation regarding the observation of lower-charged atomic metal species and not the higher-charged (formally ionic) speci es is presented. Particle ejection is briefly discussed as also is the relative influence of the observed species on thin-film deposition.