Investigation of plasma produced by laser and electron pulse ablation

Abstract Short laser pulses with high energy are a very promising tool for controlled ablation of materials, both for structurization and for deposition. They are especially suited for the ablation of non-conducting and of complex materials. The plasmas induced by the laser irradiation are distinguished by their high degree of ionization and excitation. A new source with comparable pulse properties is represented by the channel spark device. It delivers pulsed high current and self-focused electron beams (about 15 keV, 1 kA, 100 ns). The plasma produced by lasers and by electron pulses has been compared for an aluminium target. The state of the plasma has been characterized by the emitted optical radiation, spectral resolved. Considering the short pulse times, the high expansion velocity and the small dimensions, a special device combining high temporal, high spatial and high spectral resolution has been applied. The identity and the fraction of the dominating species have been determined in this way.