Velocity distribution of yttrium in laser plasma arising at sputtering of the YBa2Cu3O7-x target

Velocity distributions of particles in a laser plasma shall be known to optimize the process of thin film sputtering. Time-of-flight spectroscopy method was used to investigate the functions of atom distribution in a plasma, which is produced under laser sputtering of HTSC target. The dependence of distribution functions on laser radiation energy density (PHI) on the target surface are studied experimentally, when PHI=3τ·sm-2, a large quantity of yttrium atoms are present in the plasma and had the velocity v>20km·s-1. The distances, at which distribution function 'annealing' takes place, are determined. It is shown that buffer gas, first of all, affects the atoms whose velocity >10 km·s-1