HIGH-EFFICIENCY CLUSTER LASER VAPORIZATION SOURCES BASED ON TI - SAPPHIRE LASERS

A new laser vaporization source based on a flashlamp-pumped Ti: sapphi re laser has been used to produce cluster beams. Its performance is co mpared to the standard cluster sources based on neodyme YAG lasers. We show that the Ti: sapphire source is much more efficient: the cluster s deposition rates are about 30 times higher, and larger clusters are produced. Finally the quality of nanostructured films is comparable to those obtained by the standard source, but the time deposition is 30 times shorter. This opens new possibilities for film growth by cluster deposition.