Ion‐assisted pulsed‐laser deposition

Ion bombardment on the surface of a substrate during deposition of a thin film [ion‐assisted (IA) deposition] is used to control thin‐film crystalline orientation and phase. Ion‐assisted deposition is demonstrated with the relatively new pulsed‐laser deposition (PLD) technique, a method of thin‐film growth that has shown promise for the synthesis of high‐temperature superconductor and other complex oxide films. A versatile vacuum chamber with independent control of ion‐gun parameters was developed for ion‐assisted pulsed‐laser deposition (IAPLD). Control of crystalline orientation and alignment of yttria‐stabilized zirconia and CeO2 layers for use in YBa2Cu3O7−δ superconductor devices is demonstrated using this IAPLD technology.