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Laser ablation and deposition of wide bandgap semiconductors: plasma and nanostructure of deposits diagnosis

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Abstract

Nanostructured CdS and ZnS films on Si (100) substrates were obtained by nanosecond pulsed laser deposition at the wavelengths of 266 and 532 nm. The effect of laser irradiation wavelength on the surface structure and crystallinity of deposits was characterized, together with the composition, expansion dynamics and thermodynamic parameters of the ablation plume. Deposits were analyzed by environmental scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction, while in situ monitoring of the plume was carried out with spectral, temporal and spatial resolution by optical emission spectroscopy. The deposits consist of 25–50 nm nanoparticle assembled films but ablation in the visible results in larger aggregates (150 nm) over imposed on the film surface. The aggregate free films grown at 266 nm on heated substrates are thicker than those grown at room temperature and in the former case they reveal a crystalline structure congruent with that of the initial target material. The observed trends are discussed in reference to the light absorption step, the plasma composition and the nucleation processes occurring on the substrate.

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Acknowledgments

Funding from MEC, Spain (Projects CTQ2007-60177 and CTQ2010-15680) is gratefully acknowledged. MS, ML-A and ER thank CAM (Geomateriales P2009/MAT 1629), CSIC (JAE-Pre) and MICINN (Juan de la Cierva programme) for contracts. We are grateful to Prof. T. Ezquerra (IEM, CSIC) for the use of the AFM system, D. Gómez (ICTP, CSIC) for operating the ESEM and I. Carabias (CAI de Difracción de Rayos X, UCM) for XRD measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Química Física Rocasolano, CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    M. Sanz, M. López-Arias, E. Rebollar, R. de Nalda & M. Castillejo

  2. Unidad Asociada Departamento de Química Física I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    M. López-Arias

  3. Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC, Serrano 123, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    M. López-Arias

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  1. M. Sanz
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  2. M. López-Arias
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  3. E. Rebollar
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  4. R. de Nalda
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  5. M. Castillejo
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Correspondence to M. Sanz.

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Sanz, M., López-Arias, M., Rebollar, E. et al. Laser ablation and deposition of wide bandgap semiconductors: plasma and nanostructure of deposits diagnosis. J Nanopart Res 13, 6621–6631 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-011-0570-1

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