Experiments
- AG - astrophysics and geophysics
- BK - biophysics and complex systems
- FM - solid state physics and physics of materials
- KT - nuclear physics and particle physics
FM - solid state physics and physics of materials
- FM.ATE - Analytical Transmission Electron Microscopy of Self-organizing Nanocomposites
- FM.DIF - Diffusion in the solid
- FM.ERH - Recovery and Recrystallization of Aluminum
- FM.FMR - Ferromagnetic Resonance
- FM.HEU - High-harmonic Generation with an Ultrashort-Pulse Laser
- FM.LEE - Low-energy Electron Diffraction (LEED)
- FM.MBE - Molecular Beam Epitaxy and Growth Control by Electron Diffraction (RHEED)
- FM.MEC - Mechanical Behavior of Nanostructured Metals
- FM.MKS - Magnetic Coupling in thin films and magneto-optical Kerr effect
- FM.ORG - Organic Electronics: Charge transport in organic semiconductors
- FM.PHA - Phase Transitions of Iron-Carbon-Alloys
- FM.PLD - Pulsed Laser Deposition and Thin Film Characterization by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry
- FM.QHE - Quantum Hall Effect
- FM.SOL - Solar Cell
- FM.TES - Tunnel Effect in Superconductors
- FM.ULP - Spatial and Temporal Distortion of Ultrashort Light Pulses
- KT.MOE - Mössbauer Spectroscopy
- KT.PIR - Elemental analysis by proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE)
- KT.POV - Positron Annihilation: Coincidence Spectroscopy
FM.PLD - Pulsed Laser Deposition and Thin Film Characterization by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry
Thin film deposition is an essential aspect of materials physics and a wide range of deposition techniques are available nowadays. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a versatile technique with many application possibilities in basic scientific research. PLD is one of the modern thin film fabrication techniques used to deposit materials in many electronics industries. Due to the general setup configuration, using both ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and ambient background gas is possible. In most of the cases, a direct stoichiometric transfer between the target and substrate allows the deposition of a large variety of materials. In addition, the preparation of complex compounds like metals, metal-oxides, oxynitrides, nitrides, etc. and their multilayers is possible by the ablation of target using a pulsed laser beam. In UHV, the formation of metastable phases can be pursued, whereas the preparation with an ambient gas allows tuning of the film properties by varying the kinetic energy of the deposited particles. Overall these properties make PLD a valuable deposition technique for thin film growth.
This Lab-Course is designed to teach the basics of pulsed laser deposition and thin film characterization by spectroscopic ellipsometry. In this course, two cobalt (Co) films with different thicknesses are prepared on a sillicon (Si(111)) substrate. Basic characterization is performed on the samples to evaluate the thickness and and the optical constants (refractive index n, and extinction coefficient, k).