Atomic and molecular emissions of the laser-induced plasma during zinc and zinc oxide target ablation.

Optical emission spectroscopic investigations of the plasma produced during KrF excimer laser ablation of Zn and ZnO targets, in vacuum and in oxygen gas environment, are presented. The plume luminescence is mainly due to Zn excited atoms and ions, but the contribution of atomic and molecular oxygen, as well as of particulates, cannot be neglected. In particular, we detect emissions in the spectral regions around 380 and 530 nm, corresponding to the UV and green photo-luminescence bands of the zinc oxide. Moreover, we study the temporal evolution of atomic and ionic ejected species by space- and time-resolved spectroscopy and analyze the results by means of empirical models, in order to infer information about plasma dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]