Advances and Challenges in Pulsed Laser Deposition for Complex Material Applications

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Laser Coatings".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 6065

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Lasers Department, National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Interests: pulsed laser deposition; modification and characterization of nanostructured thin coatings; matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE); laser surface studies and processing; biomaterials thin layers; tissue engineering; biomimetic metallic implants; optoelectronics and sensors
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We warmly invite you to submit your recent work in the field of thin film and nanoparticles synthesis by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to the Special Issue entitled “Advances and Challenges in Pulsed Laser Deposition for Complex Material Applications”.

PLD is a powerful technique to produce either nanoparticles, or thin films, both in single and variable compositions, from a wide range of complex materials. In respect of other deposition techniques, PLD confers essential advantages such as adaptability, accurate control of the growth rate, stoichiometric transfer (even for very complex target materials), and an unlimited degree of freedom in the geometry of the experimental set-up. 

The nanoparticles produced by PLD are already used in industry for the generation of energy, in optoelectronics, information, and data storage. Thin film synthesis via PLD is frequently used to improve the performances of bulk material surfaces, such as structural, morphological, chemical, optical, electrical, and/or mechanical.

The PLD conventional technique was extended after appropriate modifications for the processing of organic materials, ranging from polymers to proteins and even living cells, which were earlier reported to be definitively altered after interaction with high power laser radiation. Such a version of PLD is known as Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE).

Due to high versatility, the PLD technique has found its place in both laboratory research and industry for a wide variety of applications. The unique capabilities of the PLD technique will therefore enable new applications by driving systems to cover larger surfaces.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect state-of-the art research papers and reviews on the latest trends in laser deposition of thin films and nanoparticles. The topics of interest are devoted but not limited to applications in a range of different technologies:

  • Medical implants;
  • Drug delivery;
  • Sustainable materials;
  • Environmental sensors;
  • Light emitters;
  • Protection of cutting and drilling tools;
  • Magnetic devices;
  • High-temperature superconductors;
  • Solar cells;
  • Energy storage;
  • In situ microstructuring;
  • Catalysts.

Dr. Liviu Duta
Prof. Dr. Ion N. Mihailescu
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 201 KiB  
Editorial
Advances and Challenges in Pulsed Laser Deposition for Complex Material Applications
by Liviu Duta and Ion N. Mihailescu
Coatings 2023, 13(2), 393; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13020393 - 8 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1726
Abstract
Various physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques, such as molecular beam epitaxy, electron beam physical vapor deposition, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), arc discharge, magnetron sputtering and/or ion beam sputtering, are currently used for coating or growing thin films on solid substrates [...] Full article

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 5518 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Characterization of a Zirconium (Zr) Thin Film on Si(100) via Pulsed Laser Deposition
by Zikrulloh Khuzhakulov, Salizhan Kylychbekov, Yaran Allamyradov, Inomjon Majidov, Mikhail Khenner, Jasminka Terzic, Danielle Gurgew and Ali Oguz Er
Coatings 2023, 13(10), 1748; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13101748 - 10 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1752
Abstract
Zirconium (Zr) thin films were deposited on silicon using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with two laser wavelengths (1064 nm and 532 nm) and varying substrate temperatures (25 °C, 300 °C, and 500 °C) and laser fluences (0.25, 0.5, 1.0 J/cm2). Results [...] Read more.
Zirconium (Zr) thin films were deposited on silicon using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with two laser wavelengths (1064 nm and 532 nm) and varying substrate temperatures (25 °C, 300 °C, and 500 °C) and laser fluences (0.25, 0.5, 1.0 J/cm2). Results indicate that smoother films were obtained with 1064 nm and surface roughness increased with higher fluences. Optimal crystalline films were obtained at 300 °C. XRD, SEM, and AFM analysis revealed distinct patterns and peaks related to laser parameters. The growth mechanisms of a Zr film were computed based on a well-known continuum model of thin film growth. Our simulations agree with experimental observations. The study highlights crucial factors affecting Zr thin film deposition and provides insights for optimizing PLD parameters to achieve high-quality films. Full article
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12 pages, 2576 KiB  
Article
Influence of Deposition Conditions and Thermal Treatments on Morphological and Chemical Characteristics of Li6.75La3Zr1.75Ta0.25O12 Thin Films Deposited by Nanosecond PLD
by Mariangela Curcio, Sergio Brutti, Arcangelo Celeste, Agostino Galasso, Angela De Bonis and Roberto Teghil
Coatings 2023, 13(9), 1496; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13091496 - 24 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1852
Abstract
The production of thin films has been extensively studied due to their unique properties that make them highly useful in a wide range of scientific and technological applications. Obtaining thin films with well-defined stoichiometry and crystallinity is a challenging task, especially when dealing [...] Read more.
The production of thin films has been extensively studied due to their unique properties that make them highly useful in a wide range of scientific and technological applications. Obtaining thin films with well-defined stoichiometry and crystallinity is a challenging task, especially when dealing with materials of complex stoichiometry. Among diverse methodologies for the manufacture of thin films, pulsed laser deposition (PLD) stands out as a versatile technique for producing crystalline films with complex chemical compositions. In this study, nanosecond PLD was employed to manufacture thin films of Ta-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZTO), a garnet-like oxide that has been proposed as solid electrolyte for Li-ion solid state batteries. Two distinct deposition atmospheres were investigated: vacuum conditions at 10−3 Pa and an oxygen-enriched environment with 10 Pa of O2 gas buffer. To mitigate lithium losses during deposition, a minor addition of lithium oxide was incorporated into the target. The effects of deposition atmosphere and the impact of post-deposition annealing on the structural, compositional, and morphological properties of LLZTO thin films were analysed through a multi-technique approach. The results suggest deposition under oxygen pressure led to the growth of compact, crystalline films characterized by homogenous elemental distribution across the surface and throughout the film’s depth. These films closely resemble the composition of the target LLZTO material, offering valuable insights for the fabrication of high-quality complex oxide thin films. Full article
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

 

 
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