OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY STUDY OF PULSED EXCIMER LASER GENERATED PLASMA FROM CuO

Abstract

Optical emissions from pulsed excimer laser induced plasma emanating from CuO target are studied by an Optical Multichannel Analyzer system in the context of its implications for thin film growth by Pulsed Laser Deposition. The plasma is generated in four different ambients viz. hydrogen, helium, oxygen (pressure of 100 mTorr in each case) and vacuum (2 × 10−5 Torr ) at different energy densities from 1 to 3.5 J/cm 2. The plasma constituents and their evolution in the growth space (i.e. at a distance of 1.5cm from the target) has been studied. Various transitions corresponding to Cu(I), H(I), Cu(II) and O(II) are observed. The observation of strong transitions due to O(II) in the plasma formed in vacuum, hydrogen and helium suggests significant degree of ionization of atoms via molecular splitting and inverse Bremsstrahlung process during early plasma formation. The persistence of ionicity in the plasma can be attributed to long recombination lifetimes for the specific conditions used. In the case of ablation in oxygen ambient a very significant and remarkably selective enhancement of the copper vapor lasing transition at 510.5 nm is observed which brings out the role of oxygen molecules in sustaining the radiation trapping condition. The changes in the concentrations of neutrals and ions as a function of the laser energy density are also examined. It is argued that impingement of ions/atoms in an excited state on the growing surface can potentially lead to localized energy deposition via non-radiative deexcitation resulting into enhancement of film quality and density.