On the role of ambient oxygen in the formation of lead titanate pulsed laser deposition thin films

Static oxygen transfer mechanisms (i.e. oxidation during the cooling step and between laser pulses) of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) lead titanate thin films have been studied by using (18)O tracing technique and d-SIMS profiling. During the cooling, it has been shown that about 15% of total oxygen content of the Film origin from ambient gas. The mechanism of oxygen transfer has been attributed to surface oxygen exchange and vacancies diffusion mechanisms. On the other hand, a non negligible ambient oxygen transfer in the film between laser pulses has been pointed out. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.