Thin films of semiconductors and dielectrics produced by laser evaporation

Thin films of several III–V and II–VI compounds as well as of some dielectrics have been vacuum-deposited using a focused beam of a CO₂ or ruby laser to evaporate these materials. The crystallinity, morphology and the chemical composition of the produced thin films have been examined by various analytical methods. Films produced by the ruby laser were in most cases polycrystalline and stoichiometric, while films produced by the CO₂ laser were amorphous and non-stoichiometric. Different mechanisms of evaporation leading to the observed differences in characteristics of thin films are discussed.