Plume dynamics was studied by ion probe diagnostics for Sm1-xNdxNiO3 thin film deposition. The fluence was set at 2 J cm(-2) and the oxygen pressure was varied from vacuum to 1 mbar. At vacuum and low oxygen pressure the ion expansion is free. A modulation of the ion kinetic energy can be done for pressures beyond 2 x 10(-2) mbar. In such case, the kinetic energy of the ions depends on the distance from the target. Depending on the oxygen pressure, different components of the ion flow were observed due to the ion-oxygen gas interaction and cluster formation. A correlation between the ion dynamics regarding the target-substrate distance and the morphology of the films deposited on (1 0 0) silicon substrate at 0.2 mbar was obtained. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.