Particulates on pulsed-laser deposited YBaCuO films

Different types of particulates observed on high temperature superconducting YBaCuO films prepared by pulsed-laser deposition on MgO substrates are investigated as a function of deposition parameters and classified according to their size, shape, and chemical composition. Among the parameters studied in detail are the oxygen pressure, the substrate temperature, the laser energy, fluence, spot size, and the number of pulses. The interrelations between the different particulates, the ablation and deposition rates, the shape of the visible plasma plume, and the film properties have been investigated.