University of Connecticut, Department of Physics, Poster Session 2019

Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD): A Thin Film Growth Technique

Krishna Joshi, Amani S. Jayakody, Zhiwei Zhang, Barrett Wells
Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
Abstract: Pulsed laser deposition is a useful method of thin film growth, which uses the laser energy to ablate the material to deposit on the substrates in desired thickness. We used an excimer laser to grow the
zinc telluride/metal oxide thin films on alumina/STO substrates at different temperatures, base vacuum and oxygen pressures. The thickness of the films depends on the repetition rate, the time of growth and the
nature of the target. For ZnTe films grown on Al2O3 substrates, we found a direct relationship between the thickness and growth time and repetition rate, however the grain size depends on the temperature.

Introduction Analysis
A relatively uniform ZnTe/Al2O3 film.
• The pulsed laser deposition is a useful Pulsed Laser Deposition: External Setup
technique to grow the thin films of,
mostly, metal oxides. Why PLD? 11

• Uses the laser energy for ablation of the • Conceptually simple

target and forms the plasma, which • Cost effective
deposits on the substrates. • Versatile
• The stoichiometry of the films remains • Fast
the same as of target. • Stoichiometry conserved
• The quality and thickness of film ZnTe/Al2O3 film thickness variation: it has one
depend on various factors, both intrinsic Alumina thin film on PLD consists of: corner of 350 nm, where as another of 1400
STO substrate nm – effect of wrong alignment of the
and extrinsic. (Source: Wikipedia) • Vacuum Chamber substrate (Source: Quantum – Si Incorporated)
• Laser Source Plume check and the proper alignment of the substrates
• Cooling System
Materials • Heating System
to grow a uniform film, where temperature, pressure, rep
rate, target-substrate distance are kept same.
• Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) Setup • Gas Venting and Pumps PLD setup at Dr. Barry’s laboratory, UConn
• Target Film Data
• Substrate Thickness Variation with alignment:
• Oxygen supply First run
• Atomic Force Microscopy PLD: Working Principle ZnTe/SiO2: 360, 399, 350 nm
• D-2 Phaser X –Ray Diffractometer Zinc Telluride
target
ZnTe/Si2N4: 1500 nm (uncertain due to SiN)
ZnTe/Al2O3: 727, 714, 791, 750 nm
Following are the four main steps- ZnTe/Al2O3: 1000, 979, 850 nm
Issues and Problems • Creation of plasma by laser ablation
Second run
ZnTe/SiO2: Not available
• Temperature: Selection of proper temperature is ZnTe/Si2N4: Not available
critical for a growth of epitaxial films. It also causes ZnTe/Al2O3: 350, 1400 nm (silver paste used)
• Dynamics of plasma ZnTe/Al2O3: 1200, 1300 nm
change in the grain size.
Third run
• Deposition of material on a substrate ZnTe/Al2O3: 1300, 1300 nm
• Frequency (repetition rate): We used different Transmission spectrum of ZnTe /Al2O3 film
Schematic diagram of pulsed laser deposition Source: Quantum – Si Incorporated
repetition rates during the growth, which needs to be • Nucleation and growth of the film (Source: Wikipedia)
balanced to get the proper thickness of the film
Summary
• The quality of the film depends on many factors, both
• Pressure: Both base and background gas pressures References: intrinsic and extrinsic.
are important to get the proper stoichiometry of the films. • B. Kotlyarchuk, V. Savchuk; Investigation of ZnTe thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition, phys. Stat. Sol. (b) • For the same target and substrate, rep rate and
244, No. 5, 1714 – 1719 (2007). growth time determines the thickness.
• B. Ghosh, D. Ghosh, S. Hussain, R. Bhar, A.K. Pal; Growth of ZnTe films by pulsed laser deposition, Journal of •
• Substrate Alignment: This is the main issue we Alloys and Compounds 541, 104 – 110 (2012) Grain size depends on the temperature.
faced during the growth to maintain the uniformity of the • Zhang et al; Nematicity and Charge order in superoxygenated La2-xSrxCuO4+y, Physical Review Letters 121, • Substrate alignment is important for the uniformity of
film. 067602 (2018) the thickness, and the whole thickness of the film.