Critical assessment of the issues in the modeling of ablation and plasma expansion processes in the pulsed laser deposition of metals

This paper presents a review on the modeling of ablation and plasma expansion processes in the pulsed laser deposition of metals. The ablation of a target is the key process that determines the amount of material to be deposited; while, the plasma expansion governs the characteristics of the deposited material. The modeling of ablation process involves a study of two complex phenomena: (i) laser-target interaction and (ii) plasma formation and subsequent shielding of the incoming radiation. The laser-target interaction is a function of pulse duration, which is captured by various models that are described in this paper. The plasma produced as a result of laser–target interaction, further interacts with the incoming radiation, causing the shielding of the target. The shielding process has been modeled by considering the various photon absorption mechanisms operative inside the plasma, namely: inverse Bremsstrahlung, photoionization, and Mie absorption. Concurrently, the plasma expands freely until the ablated material gets deposited on the substrate. Various models describing the plasma expansion process have been presented. The ability of the theoretical models in predicting various ablation and plasma characteristics has also been compared with the relevant experimental data from the literature. The paper concludes with identification of critical issues and recommendations for future modeling endeavors.