Pulsed laser deposition - An innovative technique for preparing inorganic thin films

The pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique, originally invented in the sev enties, has been investigated as an alternative preparation method to reali ze thin film materials for chemical microsensor applications. Dielectric ox ide materials of Al2O3 and Ta2O5 serve as pH-sensitive gate insulators for capacitive EIS (electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor) structures. Chalcogeni de glass materials are the basis of potentiometric thin film ISEs (ion-sele ctive electrodes): Their application field is the heavy metal determination of. e.g.. cadmium, lead copper and thallium. For both sensor types; high. nearly-Nernstian sensitivity, a good long-term stability, a short response time and a selectivity behavior that is comparable with macroscopic bulk se nsors have been achieved.