Nanostructured films of Boron suboxide by pulsed laser deposition

We have prepared nanofilms of boron suboxide by the method of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) for the first time. Boron powder with purity of 99% + was mixed with B2O3. The mixture was milled and then pressed into a pellet whic h was healed at 1200 degrees C for one day. The heated pellet was used as t he target for the experiment of PLD in preparing nanocluster-based films. S tructural studies indicate that nanofilms contain the crystallized nanoclus ters of B6O with six-fold symmetry and icosahedron-like structure. which is the result of long range order packing. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.