Angular distribution of species in pulsed energy beam deposition of oxide films

Abstract

Pulsed energy beam deposition methods like pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) or pulsed-electron beam deposition (PED) allow the formation of smooth, dense and crystalline oxide thin films. The angular distribution of the ablated flux from the target and the thin film thickness profile were extensively studied for PLD for a wide range of materials and growth conditions. In the case of complex oxide compounds, the angular distribution of the various species emitted by the target will determine the precise composition of the films. In this work we report on the determination of the angular distributions of the species emitted from a BaxSr1−xTiO3 (BST) target. A comparison between these results obtained by PED and PLD methods is presented and discussed in the frame of Anisimov's model. A slightly broader shape of the angular distribution for PED than that for PLD is explained taking into account the differences in the spot size and fluence between the pulsed electron beam and laser beam and a small collisional broadening of the angular distribution in the case of PED. The stoichiometry is preserved at all angles.