A numerical model of the pulsed‐laser deposition coating process

A numerical model has been developed for the pulsed laser vaporization and hydrodynamic expansion of plume material into a vacuum environment. The Integrated Simulation of Laser Effects (ISLE) code solves the coupled problem of laser energy deposition and heat conduction into a solid surface, vaporization of the surface, laser absorption, and reradiation of energy by the ignited plasma and hydrodynamic expansion of the hot plume material into a two‐dimensional space. This model is applied to pulsed laser deposition of carbon, a solid lubricant material. At laser fluences above the ablation threshold, the calculated carbon vapor density and temperature at the deposition substrate are sufficiently high that a continuum flow exists. A simple kinetic theory model of deposition is used to predict the deposition rate as a function of substrate position. Predictions are being compared to experimental results.