Fig. 1. (a) An overview of the key processes involved in pulsed laser deposition. In this technique, a pulsed laser ablates a target surface, ejecting the species from the target in a highly energetic state, which forms a plasma. During the travel of these species from the target to the substrate, they can undergo gas phase reactions with the surrounding atmosphere, and consequently reassemble on the surface of the substrate in the form of a thin film. (b) The main parameters tailored during the pulsed laser deposition process, which will be discussed as part of this tutorial review.
