The interaction of 193-nm excimer laser irradiation with single-crystal zinc oxide: Neutral atomic zinc and oxygen emission...

We report mass-resolved time-of-flight measurements of neutral particles from the surface of single-crystal ZnO during pulsed 193-nm irradiation at laser fluences below the threshold for avalanche breakdown. The major species emitted are atomic Zn and O. We examine the emissions of atomic Zn as a function of laser fluence and laser exposure. Defects at the ZnO surface appear necessary for the detection of these emissions. Our results suggest that the production of defects is necessary to explain intense sustained emissions at higher fluence. Rapid, clean surface etching and high atomic zinc kinetic energies seen at higher laser fluences are also discussed.