Pulsed laser ablation of SiC in a nitrogen atmosphere: formation of CN

Optical emission lines from the plasma generated by a laser ablation process have been investigated to gather information on the nature of the chemical species present. In particular, the experiments were carried out during the laser ablation of a ceramic sintered SiC target, both in vacuum and in presence of controlled nitrogen atmosphere. Time integrated and spatially resolved emission spectra are dominated by the atomic emission lines from silicon and carbon species, either neutral, or singly ionized. When the ablation process was carried out in a nitrogen gas background direct evidence of the formation of the CN molecular specie was found. Fast photography imaging of the expanding plume revealed the formation of a shock wave at nitrogen pressure above 13.3 Pa, with the consequent heating of the shocked region and enhancement of the kinetics of ionization and excitation. Since the C2 specie was absent, a CN formation mechanism involving atomic carbon and nitrogen in the presence of a shock wave is suggested.