Stoichiometry and thickness variation of YBa2Cu3O7−x in pulsed laser deposition with a shadow mask

The deposition of particulate species, typically seen in pulsed laser deposition can be eliminated by the deployment of a line-of-sight shadow technique. Since the technique uses the discrimination between ballistic and diffusive species, it is important to understand the lateral stoichiometry and thickness dependence under various deposition conditions. We present in this study the dependence of the lateral thickness and stoichiometry of YBa2Cu3O7−x deposited by a shadow mask pulsed laser technique on the background oxygen pressure and the shadow mask position from the target. We determined Y atoms to be limiting the lateral stoichiometric uniformity. Due to its diffusive nature, shadowed pulsed laser deposition also allowed us to improve the thickness uniformity across the wafer.