Temperature dependent growth of pulsed laser deposited Bi films on BaF2(1 1 1

Bismuth films have been deposited in vacuum on BaF2(1 1 1) substrates by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser (λ=532 nm). The morphology and crystallographic orientation of the Bi layers have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively, as a function of different parameters: (i) the deposition temperature (75–260 °C); (ii) the location of the substrate with regard to the center of the ablation plume; (iii) an annealing treatment. The microstructure is found to strongly depend on these deposition parameters. Thus, by simply changing the experimental conditions, it is possible to achieve highly textured films of a given orientation. This is crucial for optimal applications of bismuth films, as the physical properties of bismuth are anisotropic.