title: Effects of atomic collisions on the stoichiometry of thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition.
abstract: We present an analytical model to quantitatively study the effect of collisions between the atoms of a plume and the molecules of a surrounding gas on the nonstoichiometry of lithium-containing oxide thin films deposited using pulsed laser deposition. A comparison of the experimental data and the model ascertain the inevitable loss of the lighter cation, leading to a nonstoichiometric reduction in the content of lighter cations in the films. Our model is the first analytic model of collision-induced plume expansion that can explain the partial oxygen pressure dependence of the Li content of a thin film. These studies have important implications for collision effects that affect the growth of thin films containing both light and heavy elements.
authors.affiliation: WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Packwood
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiraki
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hitosugi