Laser Ablation Deposition of Germanium Oxide Thin Films

Laser pulsed sputtering of GeO 2 targets in both vacuum and oxygen environments is us;ed to produce germanium oxide thin films. Infrared transmission and Auger electron spectroscopies are employed to infer compositional information on the films. The films grown in vacuum are oxygen deficient and they show a radial variation in the metal to oxide content. In contrast, the films grown in an oxygen atmosphere appear stoichiometric along the entire film.