On the nature of thin films generated during the laser-assisted molecular beam deposition of metal plasma and organic vapors

Micrometer thick polymeric films containing embedded metallic nanoparticles have been fabricated via the technique of laser-assisted molecular beam deposition. A gaseous mixture of acetylene/acetone is expanded supersonically into the plasma plume of laser-ablated metallic (copper, titanium) targets and then expanded toward a substrate. The formation of these polymeric films is found to be not simply due to thermal effects of the plasma but also due to catalytic activity of the metal clusters. In the case of copper metal it is found to be physically embedded as metallic nanoparticles. In the case of the titanium, the metal is found to be bonded with oxygen.