Pulsed Laser Deposition of Thin Films: Recent Advances and Challenges

Dear Colleagues,

Since its first introduction several decades ago, Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), proved a powerful technique for the synthesis of a broad spectrum of functional thin films. Indeed, with respect to other conventional physical vapor deposition techniques, PLD exhibits several advantages, such as control of stoichiometry especially for materials with complex composition, adherent coatings, easy to obtain multi-layered thin films and combinatorial maps, good versatility of experimental design, and morphology and crystallinity control, to mention a few. Moreover, tailoring the composition-structure-properties relationship of the coatings is possible by adjusting the deposition conditions.

Matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) is a complementary deposition technique derived from PLD, extensively explored for the deposition of thin organic nanoparticle and composite coatings. High experimental versatility allows synthesis of delicate compounds such as proteins or polymers, without impeding the stability of their functional characteristics. Although initially designed for polymers, MAPLE evolved into various applications in biomimetic coatings, energy, sensing, wearable electronics, and photonic devices.

In view of creating a knowledge platform devoted to laser-based deposition technologies, we kindly invite you to submit your recent work to our Special Issue entitled “Pulsed Laser Deposition of Thin Films: Recent Advances and Challenges.”

This Special Issue is devoted to recent advances and further challenges of PLD and its derivate MAPLE techniques applied but not limited to:

• Biomimetic coatings (bioactive Calcium Phosphates, bio-glasses, biopolymers, and drug delivery systems)
• Sensors and biosensors
• Oxides and Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCO)
• Organic and inorganic solar cells layers and multilayers
• Smart windows and efficient energy coatings
• Catalysts and energy storage devices
• Hard carbides, nitrides and carbo-nitrides coatings
• Coatings for extreme enviroments
• Novel composites thin-films synthesis via material blending or multilayer assembling
• Modelling and/or theoretical studies devoted to laser-matter interactions and thin films growth leading to innovative functionalities

Dr. Emanuel Axente
Dr. Gabriel Socol
Guest Editors

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