Pulsed Laser Deposition - An Innovative Technique for Preparing Inorganic Thin Films

The pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique, originally invented in the seventies, has been investigated as an alternative preparation method to realize thin film materials for chemical microsensor applications. Dielectric oxide materials of Al2O3 and Ta2O5 serve as pH-sensitive gate insulators for capacitive EIS (electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor) structures. Chalcogenide glass materials are the basis of potentiometric thin film ISEs (ion-selective electrodes): Their application field is the heavy metal determination of, e.g., cadmium, lead, copper and thallium. For both sensor types a high, nearly-Nernstian sensitivity, a good long-term stability, a short response time and a selectivity behavior that is comparable with macroscopic bulk sensors have been achieved.