Laser ablation of polysulfone films: a laser ionization TOF mass spectrometric study

2 . Major peaks were assigned to direct fragments and recombination products ejected from the PS surface. The arrival profiles of these ablation products varied from product to product and were fitted by using a shifted Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution with a center-of-mass flight velocity [(1.4-5.6) ×10⁵ cm/s] and a Knudsen layer temperature (350–3810 K). Two types of ablation products, whose velocities and temperatures showed different dependences on laser fluence, were found to exist. Dynamical aspects in the decomposition of the polymer chain, the ejection of various fragments, and their expansion are discussed on the basis of a photothermal ablation model, where a heated surface layer with a temperature gradient along its depth plays an important role. Received: 11 August 1998/Accepted: 12 August 1998     

Laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometric probing of the surface states of SiO2-based porous materials

2 -based materials of different porosity and surface states have been studied by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) under 308 nm excimer laser ablation. Sequences of SiO₂-based negative ion clusters [(SiO₂)_nX]^- are observed and variations of their abundance distributions with sample properties are studied. The unique roles of surface states in cluster formation are discussed. Received: 10 January 1997/Accepted: 23 June 1997     

Laser ablation of lithium and lithium/cadmium alloy studied by time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Ablation of solid lithium and lithium/cadmium alloy was performed by a 308-nm, nanosecond excimer laser. Analysis of the atomic and molecular composition of the plume in vacuum and in nitrogen atmosphere was performed by means of a linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Several ionic masses were observed and systematically studied with respect to the laser fluence, laser beam spot size, background pressure, and target composition. PACS 52.38.Mf; 52.50.Jm; 82.80.Rt     

Optimization of a quadrupole ion storage trap as a source for time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Designs of a quadrupole ion trap (QIT) as a source for time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry are evaluated for mass resolution, ion trapping, and laser activation of trapped ions. Comparisons are made with the standard hyperbolic electrode ion trap geometry for TOF mass analysis in both linear and reflectron modes. A parallel-plate design for the QIT is found to give significantly improved TOF mass spectrometer performance. Effects of ion temperature, trapped ion cloud size, mass, and extraction field on mass resolution are investigated in detail by simulation of the TOF peak profiles. Mass resolution (m/Δm) values of several thousand are predicted even at room temperature with moderate extraction fields for the optimized design. The optimized design also allows larger radial ion collection size compared with the hyperbolic ion trap, without compromising the mass resolution. The proposed design of the QIT also improves the ion-laser interaction volume and photon collection efficiency for fluorescence measurements on trapped ions.     

Laser plasma monitored by silicon carbide detectors

The excellent physical and chemical properties and the radiation hardness of silicon carbide (SiC) render this material particularly suitable for the realization of radiation detectors. In this paper we describe the main properties of SiC and the processes needed to realize good performance detectors. To this purpose, we made SiC Schottky diodes that were electrical characterized by using different techniques. In order to test the radiation hardness, the diodes were irradiated with different ion beams and the analysis of the electrical measurements allowed to identify the defects responsible of the device degradation. These detectors have been used to monitor the multi-MeV ions of the plasma emitted by irradiation of various targets with 300-ps laser at high intensity (10¹⁶?W/cm²). These measurements highlighted that the use of SiC detectors enhances the sensitivity to ions detection due to the cutting of the visible and soft ultraviolet radiation emitted from plasma. The small rise time and the proportionality to ion energy evidence that these detectors are a powerful tool for the characterization of ion generated by high-intensity pulsed laser.     

Laser ablation mechanism and plume dynamics of polyarylsulfone films studied by laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The KrF laser ablation of polyarylsulfone (PAS) was investigated for fluences between 90 and 200 mJ/cm². Neutral fragments were probed using laser post ionization (193 nm) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. Decomposition of PAS was found to occur mainly through scission of C-S and C-O bonds as well as via decomposition of the phenylene rings in the chain. The dependencies of both the flight velocities and the Knudsen layer temperature of the fragments on fluence suggest that PAS ablation is a photothermal process. In contrast, the high average translational energies (up to a few tens of eV) indicate the existence of a non-thermal component in the process. In terms of the plume dynamics, the fitting of the arrival profiles of the fragments with a shifted Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution over the full fluence range indicates the existence of a collision during the adiabatic expansion process.     

Laser ablation synthesis of new gold phosphides using red phosphorus and nanogold as precursors. Laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Gold phosphides show unique optical or semiconductor properties and there are extensive high technology applications, e.g. in laser diodes, etc. In spite of the various AuP structures known, the search for new materials is wide. Laser ablation synthesis is a promising screening and synthetic method. Generation of gold phosphides via laser ablation of red phosphorus and nanogold mixtures was studied using laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDI TOFMS). Gold clusters Au(m)(+) (m?=?1 to ~35) were observed with a difference of one gold atom and their intensities were in decreasing order with respect to m. For P(n)(+) (n?=?2 to ~111) clusters, the intensities of odd-numbered phosphorus clusters are much higher than those for even-numbered phosphorus clusters. During ablation of P-nanogold mixtures, clusters Au(m)(+) (m?=?1-12), P(n)(+) (n?=?2-7, 9, 11, 13-33, 35-95 (odd numbers)), AuP(n)(+) (n?=?1, 2-88 (even numbers)), Au(2)P(n)(+) (n?=?1-7, 14-16, 21-51 (odd numbers)), Au(3)P(n)(+) (n?=?1-6, 8, 9, 14), Au(4)P(n)(+) (n?=?1-9, 14-16), Au(5)P(n)(+) (n?=?1-6, 14, 16), Au(6)P(n)(+) (n?=?1-6), Au(7)P(n)(+) (n?=?1-7), Au(8)P(n)(+) (n?=?1-6, 8), Au(9)P(n)(+) (n?=?1-10), Au(10)P(n)(+) (n?=?1-8, 15), Au(11)P(n)(+) (n?=?1-6), and Au(12)P(n)(+) (n?=?1, 2, 4) were detected in positive ion mode. In negative ion mode, Au(m)(-) (m?=?1-5), P(n)(-) (n?=?2, 3, 5-11, 13-19, 21-35, 39, 41, 47, 49, 55 (odd numbers)), AuP(n)(-) (n?=?4-6, 8-26, 30-36 (even numbers), 48), Au(2)P(n)(-) (n?=?2-5, 8, 11, 13, 15, 17), A(3) P(n)(-) (n?=?6-11, 32), Au(4)P(n)(-) (n?=?1, 2, 4, 6, 10), Au(6)P(5)(-), and Au(7)P(8)(-) clusters were observed. In both modes, phosphorus-rich Au(m)P(n) clusters prevailed. The first experimental evidence for formation of AuP(60) and gold-covered phosphorus Au(12)P(n) (n?=?1, 2, 4) clusters is given. The new gold phosphides generated might inspire synthesis of new Au-P materials with specific properties.     

Laser annealing of Al implanted silicon carbide: Structural and optical characterization

Pulsed-laser-based methods have been applied for post-implant annealing of p-type Al-doped 4H-SiC wafers in order to restore the crystal structure and to electrically activate the doping species. The annealing was performed with the third harmonic (355 nm) of a Nd:YAG laser at 4 ns pulse duration. The epilayers were characterized by micro-Raman spectroscopy under surface and cross-sectional backscattering. Changes in the phonon mode-intensity were related to the laser annealing induced recrystallization of the implanted material. The results were compared with changes in the infrared reflectivity across the Reststrahlen band. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed the formation of columnar polycrystalline structure after the laser annealing process.     

Laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-TOF-MS) of “nitrogen doped diamond-like carbon (DLN) nano-layers”

Nitrogen-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) layers (a-C:H:N, N-DLC or DLN) were prepared by the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique, using a RF capacitive discharge (13.56 MHz), at low pressures (20 Pa), produced from a mixture of methane, nitrogen and hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO), deposited on single-crystalline silicon wafers placed on steel samples. The films, of differing deposition times, were subjected to laser ablation time-of-flight (LA-TOF) mass spectrometric measurements, using different commercial instrumentation to characterize their structures. The analysis of mass spectra was made and the following positively singly charged species were detected and identified: C_n⁺ (n=4–30), Si_n⁺ (n=2, 3), Si_nH⁺ (n=2, 3), SiOK⁺, Si₃H₄⁺, Si₂N⁺, Si₂NH₂⁺, and Si₃C⁺. The later three species could reflect the presence of nitrogen–silica and carbon–silica chemical bonds in the structure of the DLN layer. The stoichiometry of all species was confirmed by isotopic pattern simulation. In the negative detection mode, the C_n⁻ (n=2–12) clusters were observed. The findings are discussed in the light of the current research concerning analysis of the DLN thin layers and it is concluded that namely Si₂N⁺, Si₂NH₂⁺ and Si₃C⁺ species are reflecting the chemical structure of the DLN layer. LA-TOF-MS was found useful supplementary method for the characterization of DLN nano-layers.     

Pulsed laser ablation of borocarbide targets probed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Excimer laser ablation of superconductive borocarbide material (YNi₂B₂C) in typical conditions for the deposition of superconductive thin films has been investigated using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The mass spectra show the presence of all the target elemental ionized atoms as well as diatomics. The ablation yield of the metal ions is a strongly increasing function of the laser fluence, while the contrary is true for non-metal ions. The dependence of non-metal light mass diatomic ions on laser fluence indicates the presence of aggregation processes as the laser fluence is increased. Moreover, evidence of aggregation processes involving metallic ions at high laser fluence is also obtained by the mass spectra. An interesting aspect of our results is the observation of an ion spatial distribution characterized by the presence of the lighter species at the plume edges, while the heavier ones are concentrated at the plume center.     

Homotopy analysis method to study a quadrupole mass filter

The homotopy analysis method (HAM) is applied to study the behavior of a hyperbolic rods of quadrupole mass filter and a sinusoidal potential form V(ac) cos(Ωt). Numerical computation method of a 20th-order HAM is employed to compare the physical properties of the confined ions with fifth-order Runge-Kutta method. Also, comparison is made for the first stability region, the ion trajectories in real time, the polar plots, and the ion trajectory in x?-?y plan. The results show that the two methods are fairly similar; therefore, the HAM method has potential application to solve linear and nonlinear equations of the charge particle confinement in quadrupole field.     

Experimental study on the acceptance of a quadrupole mass filter

The acceptance of a quadrupole mass filter is studied by means of a small alkali ion source movable under vacuum. Experimental results are in agreement with Dawson's theoretical calculations.     

Sn In silicon carbide: A mossbauer and channeling study

Conclusion Implantation of Sn at 550°C into SiC and post-annealing at 1120°C has been demonstrated to lead to a predominant population of the substitutional Si sites. The electronic structure of the Sn atoms in substitutional Si sites has been shown to be strongly influenced by the partial ionicity of the host material.     

Ab initio study of palladium and silicon carbide

Ab initio methods have been used to investigate the properties of Pd as impurity in bulk SiC at five charged states within the framework of density functional theory using the local spin density approximation. It was found that Pd interstitials and substitutionals have similar energy to their intrinsic counterparts. In addition, Pd substitutes for a vacancy, di-vacancy, and tri-vacancy with similar energies. Pd diffuses through SiC via an interstitial mechanism employing the tetrahedral sites and Pd can substitute for Si and C at positive charged states. Removing electrons (p-type doping) from SiC lowers the formation and migration energies of Pd defects in SiC for most configurations.     

Laser ablation of a molten Ga target; comparison of experiments and simulation

The laser ablation mechanism of a molten Ga target was examined through comparison of experiments and simulation. The ablation was performed using an ArF excimer laser (193-nm wavelength and 20-ns duration) in vacuum. The observed existence of the threshold laser fluence (necessary for onset of the ablation) and linear increases in both the Ga deposition rate and the Ga emission (fluorescence) intensity with the laser fluence were satisfactorily explained by the simulation based on the thermal ablation model. In addition, it was found that most of the ablated particles are transferred to the substrate not in the form of an excited ion but an excited neutral atom, except at and near the target. Received: 3 September 2001 / Accepted: 7 November 2001 / Published online: 20 December 2001     

Formation of silicon carbide and diamond nanoparticles in the surface layer of a silicon target during short-pulse carbon ion implantation

Synthesis of silicon carbide and diamond nanoparticles is studied during short-pulse implantation of carbon ions and protons into a silicon target. The experiments are carried out using a TEMP source of pulsed powerful ion beams based on a magnetically insulated diode with radial magnetic field B _r . The beam parameters are as follows: the ion energy is 300 keV, the pulse duration is 80 ns, the beam consists of carbon ions and protons, and the ion current density is 30 A/cm². Single-crystal silicon wafers serve as a target. SiC nanoparticles and nanodiamonds form in the surface layer of silicon subjected to more than 100 pulses. The average coherent domain sizes in the SiC particles and nanodiamonds are 12–16 and 8–9 nm, respectively.