Thin film growth by the pulsed laser assisted deposition technique

Pulsed laser-assisted deposition (PLD) has recently emerged as a most promising film growth technique, at least for basic research, as this has been best demonstrated for high T-c superconducting oxides and YBa2Cu3O7-x in particular. This article briefly outlines the specific features of this technique and its potential, illustrated by the example of the growth of YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films aimed at the preparation of microwave passive devices. The perspectives of development of PLD and its ability to become an industrial process are discussed.