We present a method to determine where the nanoparticles nucleate and grow during pulsed laser deposition in an ambient gas. Briefly, nanocrystalline Si films are systemically deposited on the substrates located at a distance from the plasma and placed in horizontal direction; meanwhile an external electric field is introduced perpendicularly to the plume. Based on the transportation dynamics of Si nanoparticles corresponding to different electric fields, the lateral nucleation range of 0.1 to 33.8 mm is determined for Si nanoparticles deposited in 10 Pa Ar gas at a laser fluence of 4 J/cm2. Further simulation of the mass and area density of Si nanoparticles demonstrates that both nucleation and growth probabilities in nucleation region are approximately Gauss-dependent of the lateral distance.
