title: Method for controlling energy density for reliable pulsed laser deposition of thin films.
abstract: We have established a methodology to stabilize the laser energy density on a target surface in pulsed laser deposition of thin films. To control the focused laser spot on a target, we have imaged a defined aperture in the beamline (so called image-focus) instead of focusing the beam on a target based on a simple "lens-focus." To control the laser energy density on a target, we have introduced a continuously variable attenuator between the output of the laser and the imaged aperture to manipulate the energy to a desired level by running the laser in a "constant voltage" mode to eliminate changes in the lasers' beam dimensions. This methodology leads to much better controllability/reproducibility for reliable pulsed laser deposition of high performance electronic thin films.
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Division of Materials Physics and Applications, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Dowden
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Division of Materials Physics and Applications, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Division of Materials Physics and Applications, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Q X
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Jia