Formation of AlN in laser ablated plasma of Al in nitrogen ambient

We report on spectroscopic investigations of interaction of an expanding laser ablated plume of aluminum and graphite with nitrogen gas and the formation of AIN and CN. AIN and CN bands are formed by reactive process of ablated aluminum and graphite in ambient nitrogen pressures of 70 and 0.1 Toff and laser fluence of 500 and 12 Jcm(-2) respectively. Images of the expanding plasma plume were captured using ICCD to understand the role of vapor and shock temperature in the formation of AIN. Instability observed in later ablated plume at later times attributed to Rayleigh-Taylor instability could be the cause for weak AIN band observed in the emission spectrum. (c) 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.