Abstract
Effects of pulsed laser ablation (PLA) plasma on sterilization were studied using a thin film deposition system. Yeast fungus and spore-forming bacteria were used as the subjects of sterilization, and Ag bulk was used as the PLA target in this experiment. Experimental results suggest that both yeast fungus and spore-forming bacteria can be sterilized using PLA plasma irradiation. The effectiveness of the sterilization strongly depended on the laser fluence and irradiation time. From the optical emission spectra, it was inferred that the main sterilization factors are high-energy Ag atoms and ions, and UV light, as well as shock waves.
