Diagnostics of the early phase of an ultraviolet laser induced plasma by spectral line analysis considering self-absorption

Abstract

We have performed time- and space- resolved plasma diagnostics during ultraviolet excimer laser ablation of a Ti target in a low pressure N2 atmosphere. Spectral lines emitted from metal vapor ions in the early plasma phase (t⩽200 ns) have been analyzed and compared to line profiles computed for a plasma in a local thermodynamic equilibrium.