Feature
Applications of Pulsed Laser Deposition to Optics
The laser, as a source of "pure" energy in the form of monochromatic and coherent photons, is enjoying ever increasing popularity in such diverse and broad applications as drilling micron-sized holes on semiconductor devices to guidance systems used in drilling a mammoth tunnel under the English Channel. In many areas, it has become an irreplaceable tool. Material processing technology takes no exception. Among the various material processing techniques driven by the advancement in laser performance and its uniqueness, pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has experienced a phenomenal growth since 1987. Because of its success in in-situ growth of high Tc superconductive thin films, PLD is often associated with this class of material. However, due to its simplicity and versatility, thin films of more than 100 different materials have been grown for various applications by PLD in the nearly three decades since its initial conception.
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