Thermal effects during film condensation from an erosion laser plasma

Thermal effects observed during the deposition of tin films from a laser plasma are investigated experimentally using ruby and YAG:Nd(3+) lasers operating in the Q-switched mode. Two mechanisms of condensation on a nonheated substrate are identified which are related to the time and angular dependences of additional substrate heating by energetic ions. It is shown that deposition on thin substrates may involve thermal size effects.