Monte Carlo simulation of the Pulsed Laser Deposition Process and Investigation of the Target-to-Substrate Distance Variations on the Characteristics of Thin Films

In this paper, Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) process at the presence of a background gas was simulated using the Monte Carlo method. Specifically, growth of aluminum metal in xenon background gas at the pressure of 50 mTorr was simulated. Target-to-substrate distances of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mm are used in simulations. Spatial and energy information of the ions in the ablated plasma plume that forms in this method, as well as the sputtered ions from the growing thin film were collected. Thickness profile of the growing thin films was calculated using the spatial information of the transmitted and the sputtered ions. The results showed the possibility of dip formation at the center of the grown thin films with this method and its intensification by decreasing the target-to-substrate distance. The simulation results demonstrated the effective role of the sputtered ions from the growing thin film in the formation of this type of dips.