Nutpool Materials

e deposited amorphous thin films of boron carbide by pulsed laser deposition using a B 4 C target at room temperature. As the laser fluence increased from 1 to 302J/cm 2 , the number of 0.25–502μm particulates embedded in the films decreased, and the B/C atomic ratio of the films increased from 1.8 to 3.2. The arrival of melt droplets, atoms, and small molecular species depending on laser fluence appeared to be involved in the film formation. In addition, with increasing fluence the nanoindentation hardness of the films increased from 14 to 3202GPa. We believe that the dominant factor in the observed increase in the films’ hardness is the arrival of highly energetic ions and atoms that results in the formation of denser films.