TiC and TaC deposition by pulsed laser ablation: a comparative approach

Titanium and tantalum monocarbides have been evaporated by means of doubled Nd-YAG laser and deposited on oriented silicon substrates. The gaseous phase and the deposited ®lms have been characterised by mass spectrometry, optical imaging (ICCD camera) and electron microscopy analysis (SEM, TEM), X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The major differences between the two systems, observed in the gas phase analysis concern the plume composition and morphology which are strictly related to the ®lms characteristics. In fact, while in the case of TiC it is possible to identify several evaporation mechanisms as a function of the laser ¯uence leading to different ®lm composition, the ablation of TaC can be interpreted mainly in terms of a single process. The steps of the ®lm growth were also studied for both systems. # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.