The results of experimental studies of the ablation of CdTe with a pulsed Nd:YAG laser (wavelength 1064 nm) performed with 100 μs pulses and repetition time of 35 Hz are presented for the pulse energy range from 0.13 to 0.25 J. The main goal is to elucidate the dependence of the ablation process on the target preparation method. The investigation of the vapour stream intensity and chemical composition and their evolution with time are performed with a quadrupole mass spectrometer synchronized with the laser pulses. These studies are performed for three kinds of targets: a target made of CdTe bulk crystal (BC target), a target made of CdTe fine powder pressed under the pressure of 700 atm (PP target), and a target made of loose CdTe powder (N-PP target). The applicability of these targets for obtaining high quality CdTe thin films is determined. The best chemical composition of the vapour stream can be obtained with the BC target. A major drawback of this target is the energetic threshold for ablation with Nd:YAG laser and resulting delay in the ablation process above the threshold. The advantage of powder targets over BC target is the lack of any ablation threshold or delay. Weaker angular dependence of the particle emission (associated with the surface roughness), if confirmed in further experiments, can be the most important advantage of PP and N-PP targets.

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