Effects of Irradiation Conditions of Laser Beam on Deposition Rate of LaNiO3 Thin Films at Pulsed Laser Deposition

To investigate effects of irradiation conditions of the laser beam on films prepared at the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method, thin films of LaNiO3 were prepared on quartz substrates under different irradiation conditions of the laser beam with the PLD method by using different lasers. The XeCl excimer laser or the Nd:YAG laser was used as a source of the laser beam. The spot size, the energy density and the energy of the laser beam at a target surface were changed as the irradiation conditions of the laser beam. The deposition rate and the surface morphologies of the films prepared on the substrates were estimated. As a result, it was found that the deposition rates of the prepared film with the XeCl excimer laser are determined by the spot size, and those with the Nd:YAG laser are determined by the energy of the laser beam. The surfaces of the films prepared by the XeCl excimer laser are smoother.