Photoionization mass spectrometric study of neutral species from pulsed laser ablation of SnO2

We report the application of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry (PIMS) to probe neutral species generated in the 532 nm laser ablation of sintered SnO2 targets. The major (> 90%) Sn containing species are of composition (SnO)(x) (x = 1,2,3), with near-natural abundance isotop ic distributions. The translational energy distribution was determined for each product and compared to a Maxwellian velocity distribution. The utilit y of VUV PIMS as a universal probe of neutral species produced in laser abl ation is discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.